


To Find What Is Missing

by RedVoid



Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Psychological Torture, Unresolved Emotional Tension, Unresolved Romantic Tension, Unresolved Sexual Tension, alcohol abuse by minors, bad language, mentions of rape of minors, mentions of torture, prostitution of minors, slavery and genocide, strong references of eugenics, unresolved tension all around
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-09
Updated: 2018-02-24
Packaged: 2018-03-29 18:22:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 72
Words: 276,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3906163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedVoid/pseuds/RedVoid
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After separating herself from the boys, Bleach felt there was still something missing in her life: a thrill. Because of that, she struck a deal with Zeno so she'd work for the Zoldycks as their thief. She knew the risk of putting herself in such close range to Illumi again but she was willing to take her chances. She was bound to get burned.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue: A Brief History Of The Castere

**Author's Note:**

> Hello there. :)
> 
> So, as always, I'll say a few words about this story before it begins.
> 
> I have all of this posted on fanfiction.net and, due to prompting from a friend that pratically idolizes this site, I've decided to post it here too. :)  
> This fanfic is OC-centric. It tells a story of girl that showed up in Meteor City at a young age with no memory of who she was or where she came from.  
> From the warnings, I'm sure you've noticed that this story has some quite heavy stuff on the begining, but, it lightens up when it gets to the cannon time-line.
> 
> Now, about this first chapter: it isn't reaaaally the first chapter. This is a prologue that will tell you the story of the protagonist's family: the Castere. :)
> 
> Disclaimer (valid for all chapters): I don't own HunterxHunter or its characters or Nen. I only own the plot and the Ocs.

A long time ago, somewhere in the middle of nowhere, a Family reigned absolute.

Each and all soul that lived nearby had to pay tributes to the Family. Crops and animals, gold and handicrafts, sons and daughters… Whatever the Family demanded, the Family received.

That was all thanks to the Family's power: the power to summon 7 entities or guardians or monsters or angels or demons… the summoned creatures were known by all of these names.

It does not matter how you call them. Names do not matter. The only thing that matters is power, and that they had to spare.

Every generation, a child with rainbow eyes was born. The chosen one, if you will; the one who could summon the Family's guardians. This child was the Family's treasure and, as such, was kept locked inside the Palace's walls, forbidden to see anything besides its luscious gardens and forbidden to be seen by anyone that did not belong to the Family. Not even the servants that worked in the Palace as much as glimpsed the chosen ones.

Many a time, the people subjugated by the Family believed the demons to be gone because of the isolation of the chosen ones. Because of that, many a time, these servants, for there was no better name for them, revolted against the Family.

* * *

"It has been 15 years since we last saw those demons…"

"Thank the gods for that. I hope we never need to see them again."

"Idiot! Don't you see? The demons are gone! It's our time to attack!"

Naïve fools…

* * *

14 times the servants rebelled against the Family. 14 times they were massacred. To this day, their skulls and bones ornament the Palace's walls and gardens.

Only after watching their friends and family be slaughtered 14 times, only after paying this blood price, did the servants accept in their hearts that the demons would never leave the Family. The guardians were bound to serve the Family, just as much as they were.

And so, the servants resigned themselves to serve the Family without question, masquerading hate and desire for revenge in cold and complete submission. A cruel status quo was achieved.

Until Aon was born. A pretty boy, with rainbow eyes.

Aon had always been a morbid child. Obsessed with the idea of death since he was three, Aon did not let a day go by without watching something die. First, he had to contempt himself to pluck insects legs out of their bodies, one by one. Then, when he was big enough, he turned his eyes to the Palace's pets. Then, when he understood the power he had, his eyes settled on the Palace's servants.

Of course, the Family denied Aon nothing, for he was their treasure, their warrior and protector. Never had the Family demanded for so many living tributes from the servants. The hate of the servants knew no boundaries at that time, but their fear was still too great.

But then, Aon's rainbow eyes turned to the Family itself. To his grandfathers and grandmothers, uncles and aunts, cousins, brothers and sisters, mother and father.

That, the Family could not allow. For the good of the Family, Aon had to be killed.

But, no one was as strong as the chosen one's guardians and they were always by their master's side. No one could even get close to Aon. No one but Mirabelle, his eldest sister, the only person in the world Aon loved wholeheartedly, the only person he would never harm, the only person he trusted.

She was perfect.

* * *

"Poison through a kiss… Such a romantic but sad ending you gave him, Mirabelle."

"Anything for the Family."

* * *

Aon's madness was taken as a warning: no one should be allowed to have all of the powers the angels had to offer. To concentrate so much power in just one person… it left the Family completely at his mercy. And who could assure that no future chosen one would be as mad as Aon?

No one.

To avoid any other incidents, the next chosen one was forced to seal his guardians in 7 different kinds of instruments: a mirror, two chackrams, a necklace's crown-shaped pendant, a scythe, a bow, two bracelets and a staff.

These instruments were locked inside a Sealed Room in the Palace's basement that prevented the chosen one from summoning the weapons at his will. From then on, the chosen one could only use three instruments, chosen by the Family's elders, at a time.

Only the Family's elders knew how to undo the seal and open the door to take the instruments out of the room and allow they, and they alone, to be summoned according to the chosen one's will. As an extra-security measure, two people were required to undo the seal and only one could walk in the room; the other should wait at the door to keep it from closing and the seal from redoing itself.

The entities were not happy with this decision.

* * *

"HOW COULD THEM?! AFTER ALL WE'VE DONE FOR THEM, THEY WILL LOCK US AWAY?!"

"Outrageous."

"Unc Un?"

"It was to be expected, after what little Aon did."

"It'z ztill no ezcuze."

"Indeed it is not. So many years of loyal service should not be erased by one, single mistake. One mistake that was not even ours. But, worry not, my friends, it will come the day for us to take our revenge."

"Don't say such things, dumbass! We should not be plotting revenge as if we were heartbroken lovers! We should be ready to forgive them! They are just stupid humans after all; they are bound to make mistakes."

* * *

A few years, it was all it took the chosen one to learn how to use his guardians' powers in that material form. There was resentment inside most of the guardians' hearts, but their powers were still controlled by the chosen one.

All but one: the power of Iadbo, the Guardian of Shadows.

Iadbo was the guardian with the greatest power to kill. Also, he was the guardian that loved the Family the most and, therefore, the one that was hurt the most by the Family's decision of sealing them away in simple instruments. The betrayal this guardian felt at being casted aside like that, at being reduced from a member of the Family to a simple possession, was indescribable. The love he once felt towards the Family became hate, and the desire to protect became the desire to kill. The murderous intent was so great that no chosen one could wield his weapon and no normal Family members could get close to it without falling sick.

As a result, Iadbo's instrument was permanently locked away inside the Sealed Room. It was a good measure to keep Iadbo's murderous intent away from sickening the Family's members. It was even better to deepen Iadbo's hate towards them.

It is worth to mention: all of the Palace's servants were killed at the time. It would be disastrous for the Family if the information about the guardians' sealment leaked to the outside servants. They could not find out about that. At least, not until the new chosen one had complete control over the instruments.

After all the weapons, with the exception of Iadbo's, were completely mastered, the Family allowed the information about the guardians being sealed away to "leak". As predicted, the servants were quick in believing that the Family was now defenseless.

It had been too long since the last massacre. The servants needed to be reminded of just how powerful the Family truly was.

Decades later, something unprecedented happened: two children with rainbow eyes were born: the twins Regal III and Syrea. It was the first and only case in which two relatives, twins or not, had the power.

Now, all of the six weapons could be used without overpowering just one person: three for each twin. And, if one of the brothers went mad, the other could stop him. It was just wonderful! Nothing could go wrong!

But, as it usually happens when humans are involved, perfection turned into chaos.

Since Aon, Regal and Syrea were the first ones to truly befriend all of their guardians. They understood the angels' wrath and wanted to put an end to it. They wanted to right their predecessors' mistake; they wanted to set their angels free once again.

And so, the twins investigated how to undo the seals of their weapons and the one of the Sealed Room.

* * *

"We'll release Iadbo first. After all we've done to him, he deserves it."

Romantic fools…

* * *

On the darkest hour of a stormy night, the twins made their way to the Sealed Room. Regal walked in there and summoned his weapons. From his place at the door, Syrea did the same.

After all of the instruments were there, Regal turned to Iadbo's scythe and released the Guardian of Shadows.

Without batting an eye, Iadbo killed Regal and Syrea. Then, he unsealed his fellow entities.

"My friends, I told that our chance to revenge ourselves would come, did I not? Well, rejoice! Here it is!"

The guardians said nothing, they just stared at Regal and Syrea's - their only friends in decades of imprisonment – bodies.

"Why so silent, my friends? Do not tell me you grief for these two boys. Well, no matter then, I shall acquire revenge for all of us by myself. Worry not, I will tell our  _Family_  that you all sent your regards."

Syrea's body had stood in the doorway, preventing the door from closing and being sealed again and allowing Iadbo to pass.

In seconds, terrified screams could be heard through the whole Palace. Those screams continued for long, cruel minutes, until the other entities broke out of their stupor and, in a fit of rage for the murder of the twins, defeated Iadbo and sealed him back in his instrument.

"I will never forget this, my friends! I will NEVER FORGIVE this! Mark my words: you WILL regret betraying me!"

* * *

And they regretted it all too soon; the Family did not discriminate in delivering punishment to their angels. As soon as Iadbo was defeated and sealed back in his weapon, the other guardians were returned to their own as well. And, all of them were locked away in the Sealed Room forever.

All but one: Namid, the Guardian of Cure.

Namid's power was far too inoffensive to pose a threat and far too useful to be discarded. This guardian, which was sealed in the crown-shaped pendant, was passed down from chosen one to chosen one.

Unlike most of the other guardians, Namid never cared much for the Family; she cared for the chosen ones. And it was not her beloved chosen ones that sealed her away in that ridiculous, indigo-colored necklace, so there was no reason for her to feel betrayed. Namid was ready to serve her beloved chosen ones as they saw fit.

Once again, the Family killed of the Palace's servants so the information about the guardians' new catastrophe did not leave the Palace.

But that was not enough to ensure the Family's safety.

* * *

"We cannot remain as defenseless as we are now! We need new guardians."

"New guardians? What do you suggest? Oh, I know! Why do we not travel to their dimension and explain that the big seven that served us did not behave so we sealed them away. I am sure we will receive new guardians then!"

"Idiot! That was not what I meant. I want us to find ourselves human guardians."

"Bring outsiders in the Palace… Ridiculous."

"You want people defending us? Against all of those insects?"

"Have you gone mad?! We would have to find an army to fight of those rabid dogs that surround our Palace."

"We are not the only ones in the world with special powers. A few… No, ONE person, strong and very skillful, will be enough."

"It still will be an outsider. I say we leave things as they are. The rats have no knowledge about our current situation; they will not dare to attack us. The 15 Massacres were not for nothing."

"The 15 Massacres will not keep us safe forever! For how long do you think they will keep those dogs at bay? If they were smart enough to learn their lesson, they would have learned it with the first one!"

"He is right. It is better to hire a guardian than trust our luck alone; we need some sort of protection."

"And who exactly do you suggest we hire? A Hunter?"

"Not all Hunters are as skilled as they claim to be. We need an assassin, a master in killing from the shadows, without being noticed."

"Yes! This way we can discard the revolting rats silently. They will never find out we lost our guardians!"

"Those dogs walk in packs and you know it! Who in the world is so skillful as to erase one of them without the others spotting him?"

"You know who."

"What ar… No, you cannot mean…"

"Yes. Maha Zoldyck."

"And why not? We have the money to pay him for a lifetime!"

* * *

"Maha Zoldyck. We are very pleased to have you here."

"I trust my letter arrived you before I did. You are aware about my price and conditions, correct?"

"They are perfectly acceptable. But, we do wish to extend the contract's duration. May-"

"No. Five years, that is the time limit for my contract. After that, you'll have to find someone else to defend you."

"Very well."

* * *

Find someone else they did. A wandering teenager in a little boy's body, lost and longing for a family. Spurned from his homeland for his slow aging process, the 17 years old child was found during a hunt, on the woods that surrounded the Palace.

His name was Elmsy and his power was Conjuring. And, he was skilled, oh so skilled at it. Elmsy was special; he did not limit himself to the conjuration of one item alone. He could materialize anything he wanted; from cups to scissors to swords to war-hammers to catapults to… himself.

Yes, himself.

In a couple of years, the Family's guardian became two. After a few more years, two became five. After a couple of decades, five became twenty. Twenty strong and skilled guardians that loved the Family irrationally and seemed to be able to live forever.

One more massacre was in order. For the servants to taste the Family's new strength and for the Family to test Elmsy's loyalty.

And so, a new massacre, just like all the others, occurred.

Yes, Elmsy was perfect. He would commit all the atrocities the Family asked of him with a smile on his face.

* * *

"You have done well, Elmsy. We are very proud of you."

"Anything for the Family."

Anything indeed, after all, how could Elmsy deny the Family anything? They were so kind… they accepted him in his ranks promptly, despite his freakish growth and abilities! That meant he was part of the Family now, right? And family did anything for family, no matter the nightmares that came afterwards.

Naïve fool…

* * *

Decades passed. Elmsy's body grew and, with it, his self-confidence. He was a handsome young man now; certainly, if he wished to go somewhere, no one would spurn him as before. He could, no, he  _wanted_ to know what was behind the Palace's walls. But, even if he left all of his copies behind, the Family would never allow him to leave, no matter if it was just for a few weeks. He would have to do it in secret.

It was selfish of him to leave his family like that… but he wanted to be a little selfish. He wanted so much to know what was out there… And it would only be for a few weeks.

* * *

"Elmsy! Elmsy!"

"Hey, if it is not my rainbow butterfly! How are you doing, sweetheart?"

"You leaving, Elmsy?"

"Wha- W-Who told you that?"

"I gone to you room to play and you not there. But big bags was; full of you clothes!"

"You used our secret passage, right?"

"Y-Yes."

"Arysa! I told you before, that passage is for emergencies only!"

"Sorry! But I wanted to play! And you not answered my question! You leaving me?"

"Of course not, butterfly. I could never leave you."

"But you going away! The bags!"

"Hehehe, sometimes you are too smart for your own good. Now, come here… You know I have not been out of this Palace for many decades, right?"

"Yes."

"I know nothing of the world, and I wish to find out. That is why I will travel around it."

"So you leaving me!"

"Only for a few weeks, butterfly."

"The elders know?"

"N-NO! I mean, they cannot know. You see, they would not like me leaving them, even if just for a while."

"I no like you leaving me! Who play and protect me then?"

"All of my copies will be here to play with you and protect you. There will be 19 of me at your disposal."

"But I like you  _you_ better! The others have no feelings! They boring!"

"Hahahaha… You are so adorable when you pout like that!"

"No change subject!"

"Okay, Sergeant Rainbow Butterfly! My apologies. But, it will be only for a few weeks; you will not even notice I am not here. Also, you have your cousin Vesyr to play with!"

"Bah! Vesyr is boring."

"Do not say that; he is very fond of you. I even heard rumors that you two may end up marrying in the future."

"What?! No! I want marry you!"

"Hahahahahahaha! Butterfly, you are 4 years old; I am 87. I am too old for you!"

"But Sis Allie said you youth is evers- evelas- ev-"

"Everlasting?"

"Yes! So, when I grow, we can marry!"

"Things do not work like that, butterfly. But, worry not, you have many cousins, brothers and even uncles about your age to choose from. I am sure no one will make you marry Vesyr if that is not your wish."

"What is difference? They all look same! White hair, white skin and black eyes!"

"It is in your blood. I happen to found the Family's white hair and skin very beautiful."

"I like your black hair and tanned skin more… And your eyes! They are green!"

"Yours are rainbow."

"… I hate my eyes."

"Do not say that!"

"But I do! Because them, I no can walk free in the Palace! And I can never leave like you!"

"That is because they are too precious, butterfly. You are the Family's treasure and all treasures must be kept safe, away from the wrong eyes."

"You mean the rats?"

"Exactly."

"… Elmsy, who the rats? Why they the rats?"

"Because that is what they were born to be, butterfly. They are not as good as us, so they must serve quietly."

"So they servants?"

"No, servants are people. They are rats."

"But you said-"

"Arysa, Family is Family and rats are rats, that is all there is to it. Alright?"

"Alright…"

* * *

"Namid, I no understand why servants rats."

_**"That's because you're a dumbass."** _

"I not!"

**_"Yes, you are."_ **

"Well, if you so smart, explain!"

_**"… eh… Know what? I have no time for this nonsense. Go bug Elmsy."** _

"Elmsy busy preparing. He leave tomorrow."

* * *

And so, Elmsy left.

Without him in the Palace to provide energy for his copies, three days later, they disappeared.

* * *

"It is a disaster! Where is Elmsy?!"

"No one can find him! He is not in the Palace!"

"We cannot waste any more time. We must kill all the inside rats at once! We cannot allow them to pass this information to the outside!"

* * *

Once again, all of the servants inside the Palace were murdered, but, this time, that did not keep the information from reaching the outside of the walls.

On the next night, a new massacre occurred. But, this time, the Family was on the receiving end.

* * *

**_"-KE UP! WAKE UP!"_ **

"Eh…? Namid? It dark yet; why you screaming in my head?"

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"

"Namid! What that?!"

**_"THERE'S NO TIME TO TALK! JUST RUN, DUMBASS!"_ **

For once in her life, Arysa did as she was told without questioning her orders. Ignoring all of the screams, the chosen one went to the secret passage in her bedroom that took her straight to Elmsy's. There, the screams were not as loud as in her own room; the servants- no, the free men had passed through that part of the Palace already.

Slowly, the scared girl poked her head outside. Only to find blood, lots of blood, adorning the corridor's walls and floor, and bodies, dead bodies that belonged to her family.

_**"STOP STARING! RUN!"** _

Trying her best to ignore the sight and smell of death around her and the tears that were blurring her vision, Arysa ran away from the Palace's walls and into the forest that surrounded it. When she judged herself safe, the girl fell on all four and threw up, dirtying her hands and knees in the process.

That pitiful figure was found by one of the free men.

Wood axe in hand, the man watched the little girl before him put out all of the contents of her stomach. She was part of the Family, no doubt; her white hair and fine sleeping clothes were proof of that. He should kill her, he knew that, but…

But…

She was just a little girl, scared and alone. And he was no murderer; he was not part of the Family. He could not kill her.

But, he could not just leave her there either; no doubt a wolf would find and kill the girl. He could not take her back to the other free men; that would be like delivering her to death itself. And there was no way he would take care of her himself; he may not be a murderer, but he had not forgotten about all that her family did to his.

There was just one place in the world for the girl. Meteor City, the world's junkyard.

**_We accept everything. So don't take anything back._ **

It was perfect. The free man could take the little girl there. Now that there was no Family to force him to stay on that place, he could go wherever he wanted, and all he wanted was to go away. Away from the place where he was forced to work like a slave; away from the place where he watched his friends being whipped for not working enough; away from that place where his whole family was killed. The free man just wanted to leave, so why not to Meteor City?

Wordlessly, the man approached the girl and slammed the blunt side of his axe on the back of her head, making her lose consciousness. He stared at the girl's face, tear-streaked and dirty with earth and her own vomit, before picking her up and walking away.

Maybe this was justice… one of the little princesses that explored him and his family as if they were beasts had lost everything and was on her way to become trash.

The man shook his head. No… Justice did not come from torturing little girls; also, the gods were not good enough to give justice to anyone. This was just life.

Still, if there was some sort of kindness in the gods, not matter how small, the blow he delivered to the little girl's head would make her forget that night, forget the images of her family butchered like the bloodthirsty animals they were.

Little did the man know that his blow would make her forget more than that night; it would make her forget everything about herself.

That night's massacre was the end of the family Castere.

That blow was the death of Arysa Castere.

* * *

Ten days. Ten days lost in the woods and suffering from home-sickness was all it took for Elmsy to run back to the Palace.

When he arrived at the servants' village, a few miles away from his home, he knew something terrible had happened. The atmosphere wasn't nearly as somber as usual; Elmsy dared to say it was happy even.

Elmsy had never ran to anywhere as fast as he ran to the Palace that day.

Only to find death. In the gardens, and in every corridor and room, all there was in the Palace was death. No kids running around; no teenage lovers walking hand in hand; no group of adults smoking and chatting quietly by a window; no elder walking by himself with a disapproving frown on his face. No rainbow butterfly…

"ARYSA!"

Elmsy ran down to the basement. Maybe, just maybe, the elders locked the little girl inside the Sealed Room, where the rats could never reach. She was their treasure after all! They had to protect her!

But no. The Sealed Room was open, with the corpse of one of the elders keeping the door ajar. Inside it, another corpse and the weapons, but not all of them; the chackrams, the mirror and the bow were missing.

Grabbing the corpses, Elmsy let the door slam closed, giving the weapons one last glance over his shoulder; somehow, he almost could  _feel_  the entities inside them scream, but he did not know if it was in rage or grief.

Wordlessly, Elmsy materialized his 19 copies - the copies that should have been there to protect his family and his rainbow butterfly - and started cleaning up. He had failed the Family, the least he could do was give them a proper burial.

Then he would join them in the afterlife.

* * *

"I did not find her."

"Me neither."

"She was not there."

"No."

"Sorry."

"Her body was not in my area."

"No signs of her."

"Found her teddy bear on the floor, but not her."

"That is the one she gave Drea; it means nothing since the boy was found already. I did not see her either."

"No luck in my area."

"Nor in mine."

"That makes three of us."

"No butterfly on sight."

"All of mine had black eyes."

"Arysa was not in my area."

"She is not in wing L."

"Her bedroom is empty."

"Sorry, no luck."

"I am the last one to report? No one else found her? Really? Well, then the butterfly has flown away, for I did not find her either."

* * *

With all of the corpses found buried in the backyard and after two throughout searches through the Palace, Elmsy accepted that Arysa would not be found there.

Many possibilities were likely: the rats could have taken her to torture since she was the chosen one; she could have run away and died in the woods for there was no way she could survive the animals that inhabited them; or she could be alive. Elmsy grasped the last option and held onto it with all the hope he had inside of him.

His rainbow butterfly was alive somewhere.

That changed everything. He could not die with his family now; he had to meet her again and make sure she was safe. Only then, he could return to his home and rest in peace.

"Arysa… in the end, you were the one that left me."


	2. Getting Away With Murder

YOU LITTLE THIEF! GET BACK HERE!""

"I AIN'T LITTLE, YOU OLD FART!"

"OLD?! JUST WAIT 'TIL I GET MY HANDS ON YOU!"

"GONNA HAVE TO RUN HARDER THAN THAT! I CAN'T BARELY SEE YOUR WRINKLED ASS NO MORE!"

That said, the thief (who was, indeed, very little) sped up, letting the chaser (who was, undoubtedly, an old man) behind, yelling obscenities at the small figure that was running away with a ham-filled baguette in hands.

* * *

Somewhere on the wastes of Meteor City, there was a hut. It was made of pieces of concretes, iron plates and some garbage bags; it was small, strange and dirty, just like its inhabitant. Said inhabitant had waist-length, wavy white hair and wore an originally white tank top that was now of a grayish color, a brown skater short, a white blindfold and holed, over-sized sneakers.

The inhabitant had just arrived at the hut, carrying yet another stolen sandwich. With a satisfied grin, the child sat down in front of the "house" to eat.

"Heh, old man's getting slower by the day." The thief said, parting the baguette in half. Before starting to eat the first half, the kid opened it to examine its contents. "He was selling THIS as a ham sandwich?! There's barely no meat here! What a miser!"

As the kid munched on one of the halves, a few stray, famished dogs approached; some whimpering submissively in an attempt to receive part of the food, others growling in threat to take it.

"Whatcha looking at, huh? This food is mine, you go after your own."

One of the growling dogs decided to try its luck and lunged at the thief. Quickly, the kid dodged and delivered a kick on the stray; the kick sent the dog away, but it lacked the strength to hurt it much. Angry, the kid turned to glare intimidatingly at the other dogs; an useless action, since no one could see the child's eyes due to the withe blindfold that covered them.

"You mutts! I don't wanna hit you, but I ain't sharing my food; I'm hungry too, you k- HEY, YOU SHIT!"

As the thief yelled at the growling dogs – another useless action, since the canines could not understand – one of the submissive ones, a scrawny bitch, grabbed the forgotten half of the sandwich and ran off. Instead of staying to protect and eat the rest of the stolen food, as a smart person would do, the thief ran after the bitch to retrieve the piece that it ran off with.

"HEY! Gimme back! I worked hard to steal that! You fucking bitch!"

The kid chased the bitch to what seemed to be a tunnel made in a mountain of trash. Without a second thought, the child dropped on all fours and started crawling in the hole, not minding the cockroaches that passed by; they were a common sight in the hut as well.

Reaching the end of the tunnel, the kid found a scene that was not expected: three little, scrawny pups were devouring the baguette. The bitch that had stolen the food noticed the child's presence and turned to growl in defense of her pups. Annoyed, the child growled back a deep sound that made all of the hole's inhabitants whimper in fear.

Behind the blindfold, the kid's angry eyes moved from the bitch to the pups to the half-eaten piece of sandwich and back. After redoing the motion a few times, the thief scowled and crawled back and out of the tunnel, complaining and cursing all the while.

* * *

When the thief returned to the hut, the rest of the sandwich had been already eaten by the other dogs. The child let out a sigh before breathing in deeply, then…

"YOU FUCKING MUTTS! MARK MY WORDS, MY NEXT MEAL GONNA BE A HOT DOG!  **LITERALLY**!"

* * *

That frustrated and angry scream was loud enough to make the trash-collectors that were around pause their work to chuckle.

"That girl's at it again. Hey, you know, I never asked: what's her name?"

"We call her Bleach."

"Bleach? Why's that?"

"Because she managed to get here as a big kid – four or five years old, I think - with no memories whatsoever and with no one looking for her. Also, she got white hair. It's like someone dipped her head in bleach; past and hair colour washed away."

* * *

_Seven years ago..._

The stench was horrible. The heat was unbearable. The ground was hard; her back hurt.

Those were the first thoughts that crossed the white-haired girl's head when she first woke up in Meteor City. Hurting and tired, she spent some minutes just laying there on the ground, trying to organize her thoughts.

Where was she? How did she get here?

She remembered traveling with a man, but not much of it. She slept most part of the day and, on the few hours she was awake, they never really talked; she would eat and drink something and, next thing she knew, she would get dizzy and faint.

Slowly, the four-years-old sat up and looked around. Only mountains of junk and flying insects met her eyes; the man was nowhere in sight.

So, she was on her own now. But…

Who was she?

Besides the images about the short time she spent with that unknown man, she remembered nothing, not even her name. She had asked the man, no doubt, but he coldly ignored her queries.

Soon, the girl started to cry loudly and shamelessly, just like the lost and scared little kid she was.

From far away, footsteps started to approach her.

Almost immediately, the girl ceased her wailing and made to run towards the sound; being alone like that scared her so much that anyone was someone to cling to in the girl's eyes. But, before she could take a step, a voice, seemingly coming out of nowhere, stopped her.

' _ **Don't let they see your eyes, dumbass. Hide them, always. Or they will kill you. They want to kill the chosen one.'**_

"W-Who said that?" The girl asked in a small voice but only silence answered her.

More than anything, the voice scared the girl, but, it was strangely familiar and the first words she had heard in God-knows-how-long. Instinctively, she trusted the voice's words and chased the ground for something to hide her eyes with. Close to her feet, there was a strap of white, cotton linen cloth. It would do.

Quickly, the child grabbed the cloth and tied around her head tightly enough to stretch well the fabric and allow her to see through it relatively well. The cloth was so thin that it was not that hard.

A blindfold that did not blind… the notion was ridiculous even to her. But it was enough to hide rainbow eyes from the black-haired boy with a cross on his forehead that was approaching her.

* * *

Bleach's eyes opened in a hasty motion. She took a moment to examine her surroundings and understand that it was all just a dream - a distant memory, nothing more – and that now she was sleeping inside her little hut. Unconsciously, she reached for the blindfold on her eyes; it was bothersome and stuffy.

' _Don't let they see your eyes, dumbass. Hide them, always. Or they will kill you. They want to kill the chosen one.'_

Seven years had passed since that day and that white blindfold remained on. The voice, on the other hand, she never heard again. It annoyed her; she had things to ask that voice: What exactly was that talk of 'chosen one' anyway? What was she chosen for? Queen of cockroaches?

Undoubtedly, it was something regarding who she was in the past, before she came to Meteor City. And, the only thing she had from that time was an ugly-as-fuck indigo necklace that she kept around her neck, hidden beneath her dirty and oversized white tank top.

Wordlessly, Bleach crawled out of her hut and made her way up to the top of a specific mountain of trash near her, where there was a beaten mattress laid down. She knew she would not be able to go back to sleep, so she might as well do something productive… like star-gazing? Yeah.

Bleach laid down on the mattress and was about to take off the blindfold to watch the stars better when someone cleared his throat behind her. The girl jumped a foot into the air before turning to glare at the person. She was not surprised to find none other than Kuroro Lucifer standing behind her with an amused smile on his lips.

"Damn it, Kuroro! Stop scaring me like that, asshole!"

"After seven years, one would think you that your perception skills would improve enough so wouldn't get scared anymore. Really, I expected more from the youngest thief of Meteor City."

"Don't you use that condescending tone on me, you prick. You know how much I hate it." Bleach spat. "And my perception skills did improve, thank you very much! Just not as much as your stealth ones... And that's to be expected, you know. You're much older than me; you have more experience."

"That is no excuse."

"Yes, it's, you asshole!"

Instead of engaging the child in an 'It is. It is not.' argument, which, he was sure, she would win - after all, a 11-years-old has much more patience and stubbornness for such games than a 17-years-old -, Kuroro changed the subject of the conversation.

"What are you doing up at this hour?"

"Sorry, mommy, I just couldn't sleep." Bleach replied in a honeyed and soft voice that, in all honesty, gave Kuroro the creeps.

"You sound like a psychopath when you talk like that."

"Then we're at the same level."

"I'm a sociopath. There is a difference."

"Whatever. And what are you doing here, anyway? Don't have bricks to play dodge ball with no more?" Bleach taunted with a smirk.

"May I remind that you enjoyed playing as well?" Kuroro replied, enjoying the way the child's cheeks got red in embarrassment.

"No, you may not. And you didn't answer my fucking question."

"I knew you'd be awake. I came here to invite you to be part of something."

"What something exactly?"

"I'll explain it in three days, when everyone is gathered to hear."

"Who's everyone?"

"You, Feitan, Phinks, Machi, Nobunaga, Shalnark, P

akunoda, Franklin and Ubogin."

"Shal, Nobu and Ubo are joining too? That's cool!" Bleach exclaimed enthusiastically before allowing a frown to make its way to her lips. "Can't say the same for Feitan and Phinks, though. Those guys give me the creeps."

"Just talk to them with that little voice from before. Believe me; they will be more scared of you than you of them." Kuroro spoke good-naturally, receiving a light punch on the shoulder in retaliation. "Anyway, can I count with your presence, Miss Psychopath?"

"I guess so, Miss Sociopath. I've got nothing else to do, anyway."

"The correct title would be  _Mister_ Sociopath."

"That's open to discussion."

* * *

Left alone, Bleach took off her blindfold (finally! It was getting too stuffy) to gaze at the stars and ponder over Kuroro's words.

She was quite… excited with whatever Kuroro was planning. Since there were quite a number of people he intended to call, it was obvious that he intended to form some sort of group. Granted, the girl did prefer to do things on her own, but she was curious to know what in the world did Kuroro need them for. It was no secret that the man was one of the strongest - if not  _the_ strongest - of Meteor City; if he needed help, it was because he was planning something big and Bleach wanted to know what was it.

"Who knows, I may even get away from this junk."

The little girl guessed right: she would depart from Meteor City, sooner rather than later. What she didn't know was that it would not be with Kuroro's group.

* * *

On the day before the gathering, things went wrong for Bleach. Very, very wrong.

As usual, the girl went to the town to steal her breakfast. Watching the small and very scarce food stores from the shadows, Bleach decided on the one that belonged to the old man. She liked stealing from him; he had the funniest reactions.

She waited patiently for a large man, who was wearing a fine, black suit and a gold wristwatch, to walk close to her; from his trajectory, she could foresee he would enter her targeted store. It crossed her mind that he was not from there but she dismissed the thought quickly, deeming it unimportant at the moment.

With footsteps that emitted no sound whatsoever and willing her presence to fade away (she didn't know why, but it worked) she started to shadow the man, keeping herself out of his and of the owner's sight.

As predicted, he walked into the store.

Careful not to be seen and not to make a sound, Bleach grabbed a bunch of bananas and a bottle of water from the perpetually lacking in produce store. The girl didn't like that fruit much, but it couldn't be helped; that was what the store and the situation had to offer her at that moment. Not wasting her chance, Bleach took the opportunity to take the suited man's watch from his wrist. He didn't even feel it.

After said man had chosen his product, the girl parted ways with him and hid behind an empty shelve that, was the town a little less poor, would be displaying products for the store's customers. When both the suited man and the store-owner were busy with the purchase, Bleach made her way out of the store.

Calmly eating the stolen bananas and drinking her water, the girl tucked the watch in her shorts' front pocket and made her way back 'home'.

She didn't notice that there were two men watching her little theft from across the street. They were dressed as common people from Meteor City, but their watches were golden as well.

Wordlessly, they went after her.

* * *

It didn't take long for Bleach to notice she was being followed. It was three men: her suited victim and two others wearing regular clothes.

So, the girl took her time on her way back, making unnecessary turns, walking in circles and stopping to greet the people she knew. She knew that walking wasn't much of an obstacle for her stalkers, but the heat they were being exposed to was. She could tell they were outsiders, not used to the heat; they would start to feel its effects soon enough.

Arriving at Meteor City at a relatively advanced age, Bleach knew that the scalding sun was the worst about the place; dehydration, nasty sunburns and daily dizziness were common occurrences on her first months in the city. Yes, it took time for one to get accustomed to the city's temperature and dry air, so, without the adequate measures, it was quick for one to dehydrate in Meteor City. Bleach had just drank a bottle of water; her stalkers hadn't.

After walking around a lot, Bleach made a sharp turn in an alleyway that was so narrow that only a small kid like her could fit in it. She heard loud cursing and grunting and just knew she had let the outsiders behind. Still quickly, the thief ran to one of the many abandoned buildings around Meteor City. She would not risk going back to her hut; many people knew where she lived and could have informed the men pursuing her. Instead, she decided it would be better to spend the rest of the day and the night, until Kuroro's gathering, hiding.

The building she chose was three stores high and falling to pieces, full of dust, spider-webs and broken windows. On the building's second floor, she moved a wood plate that was laying on one of the walls, revealing a hole in which an adult could fit. She had found it a couple of years before, when running away from some of the bigger thieves around the city; it was her perfect hiding place.

But, before Bleach could enter the hole, she froze. There was a sinister presence coming from behind her that chilled the girl to the bone, just as Feitan and Phinks did when they lost their temper. Slowly, she turned around to see where it came from and came face-to-face with yet another suit-wearing outsider. It was a blonde woman, looking at her with a predatory smile.

"What do you want with me?" Bleach asked after some moments of tense silent. "If this is about the watch, you can have it back. I don't need this shit anyway." The little girl took said object from her pocket and raised it to the woman.

"We couldn't care less about a watch. But, your abilities… The Mafia likes them. We want you to come and work with us. The payment is good and you get to leave this hell-hole. What do you say?"

"That does sound tempting, you know. But, the thing is, I really don't like people ordering me around. So no."

With that, the woman disappeared in a flash.

"You don't really have a choice." Bleach heard from behind her.

Bleach's eyes widened.  _Oh, fuck._

Before the little girl could turn around, everything went black.

* * *

When Bleach woke up, she was still in that same old building. In fact, she was exactly on the same spot on which she was knocked out; the only difference was that her feet and hands were tied. The blonde woman was standing right in front of her, talking on the cellphone. Fortunately, her presence did not give off that sinister feeling anymore.

"I got Snowflake with me. What about the others? Good. Did they go willing? Good for you. Yes. No, it was easy. Hm. Understood."

With that, the woman closed her phone, put it in a hidden pocked on the inside of her suit and turned to the blindfolded child laying on the floor.

Bleach gave the woman a bitter smile. "Snowflake? What a shitty codename you gave me. Couldn't it be something more badass?"

"Like what? Milk? Sugar? Blindy? Look at yourself, kid; you're anything but badass."

"If that was true, you wouldn't be kidnapping me to be a dog to the Mafia,  _Barbie_."

That made the woman smile in half-amusement, half-annoyance.

"I like the way you think, Snowflake. You got my attention."

"I know that already, Barbie. If I hadn't had the bad luck of doing so, I wouldn't be here in the first place. You're truly a natural blonde, ain't you?"

That made the blonde's aura turn dark again, making Bleach shut her mouth and tense in fear.

"I would watch my words if I were you."

"Yes, ma'am."

"My, aren't you quick to swallow your pride?" The blonde spoke, masquerading her dark aura again.

"It ain't hard. There ain't much left." The little girl grumbled.

"Hahaha! I guess living in this junk doesn't allow people to keep their pride intact, huh? What happened? Had to beg for food before you were capable of stealing it?"

Bleach gritted her teeth in anger, resisting a very strong urge to tell the woman to go fuck herself. She hated to be reminded of her first weeks in Meteor City; how she had depended of the kindness of other people (which was barely enough to keep her alive) to survive.

"Well, I'm certain that you have many interesting stories to tell me about how you survived in Meteor City, but, unfortunately, we'll have to postpone them-"

"Who said I'd tell you shit, anyway?"

"-because our car is here. Rejoice, Snowflake, today you're leaving this hellhole. For good."

Bleach said nothing to the blonde, but her mouth did curl in a satisfied smile. Chained to Mafia or not, she was leaving Meteor City and that was reason enough to be happy. It would not be as easy and painless as it would have been if she left with Kuroro, but she would find a way to get rid of the Mafia and be on her own. It would only take a few days, she was sure.

* * *

Bleach spent three years with the Mafia and it was not easy, much less painless.

In the first two months, Bleach tried to escape from them 10 times. And she would have succeeded in all of the ten times, had it not been for the blonde woman – people called her Nair – and her partner on (and off) the field: a bald, dark-skinned man codenamed Noir. Each failure earned her a flogging and a day in the solitaire. Lucky for the girl, her wounds healed unusually fast, leaving its marks on her back, ugly but painless.

"Ten is the limit, Snowflake. Next time, we kill you."

* * *

There was no next time; Bleach hated to be bossed around, but she feared more the idea of dying. From that threat on, the girl behaved as a good pawn for the Mafia, obeying without complaints.

It was not that bad; as long as she succeeded in her jobs, they allowed her to be on her own during them, doing things her way. And Bleach succeeded each and every time; never before had the Mafia got their hands on so many documents, jewels and other valuables as they did with the white-haired girl working for them. Of course, Nair or Noir would never be too far from the girl, always watching to make sure she would not run away and to protect her in case something went wrong.

Bleach's successes allowed her to enjoy a nice income that allowed her to buy whatever she needed. The first items she acquired: new clothes and shoes to replace the rags she wore in Meteor City, and brown-colored contact lenses to replace her blindfold. Now, Bleach wore dark blue skinny jeans with black combat boots over it, a grey T-shirt and a black hoodie to hide her now shoulder-length wavy white hair.

Unfortunately for the Mafia, that monetary perk of working to them didn't do a thing in lessening her desire to break free, but it did stimulate the girl to keep doing a good job. Nothing ever went wrong with Bleach.

Until she was sent on a special job with another of the Mafia's special bodyguards. The man was called Cressar. He was a short and lanky brunette; and his smile made bile rise in Bleach's throat.

She would have to go with said man to York Shin City, on the other side of the country, to steal an item that had caught her boss' interest: a ruby necklace that had belonged to the family of the Supreme Leader of the Republic of East Gorteau. It was in York Shin City to be sold at one of the black market's auctions. Its estimated price? 5 billion jenny.

The pair would take half of a day to arrive at Yorkshin City. There, they would have five days to steal the necklace before it reached the auctions' safe. After the item was secured, they were to text the message  _'The night is beautiful. The moon is red.'_ to Nairand move to a yellow, abandoned storehouse on the outskirts of the city. An experienced smuggler would meet them there a week later to transport the necklace to the headquarters. With all of that completed, Bleach and Cressar would return to the headquarters.

Overall; it was a good job, challenging and rewarding, but Bleach didn't like having to do it with Cressar. The idea of being alone with him made the 14-years-old girl shiver in disgust.

And she was right to feel this way. Sometimes, bad things happen to a girl when she is all alone with a man.

* * *

"STOP, CRESSAR! I DON'T WANT THIS!"

The man punched the girl's face. Hard. "Why should that concern me?"

"I'LL TELL THE BOSS!"

"Do you think he cares? As long as I get you to do your job, it doesn't matter what I do to you." As if to prove his point, Cressar gave the girl another punch.

Bleach's eyes watered as she realized something: he was absolutely right.

"Please, Cressar, I'm begging you! Leave me alone! Let's make a deal: until the end of this job, I-I'll pay you a whore each night! No matter who or how many you want, I'll treat you! S-So, please, just let me go…"

"A tempting offer indeed… Too bad for you that whores don't interest me. But, please, don't let that piece of information stop you from begging! I just love it!"

* * *

And so, Bleach endured Cressar's… advances.

She had no choice; the man was stronger than she was, and he had that strange aura-thing that made her blood run cold and fear grow inside her like an infection. She didn't have the courage to fight back seriously or run away while he was around.

But, what Bleach lacked in courage she made up in cunning.

The girl realized that what Cressar craved was not sex, but rape. What he truly enjoyed was the power he had over her. He liked to dominate, pure and simply. And Bleach was quick to make him believe that he had broken her; that, after the first two nights, he had complete dominion over her body and mind.

Honestly, Cressar was no strange to how rape effects a girl, so he should have known that it was all an act, that a girl as stubborn and independent as Bleach would never let herself be broken so easily. But, her whimpers... her ashamed movements of resignation to him… and her eyes! Full of tears and humiliation! Oh, that made him lose himself to the girl beneath him and let all reason be washed away by raw lust.

Then, exhausted and satisfied, he would let himself fall in a deep sleep. Right beside a girl that wanted nothing more than to run away from everything and that had nothing to lose.

Really, he should have known better.

* * *

After four of the five days they had, Bleach and Cressar decided it was time to act. The necklace's owner would throw a private party to show off his prized possession before its auction. Cressar was a charismatic man, so he had no problems in finding a way to get him and Bleach invited to said party.

Once there, it would be simple. Cressar would make a scene and get everyone's attention, while Bleach "accidentally" bumped on whoever was carrying the necklace, making the jewelry fall on the floor. Apologizing and willing to fix her mistake, Bleach would kneel down and retrieve the necklace while most of the eyes were still fixed on Cressar. It wouldn't take a split of a second for Bleach to swap the 5 billion jenny necklace for a 500 jenny copy.

It was a very simple.

It worked perfectly.

* * *

"Did you get it, Snowflake?"

"Of course. Here." Bleach retrieved the 5 billion jenny necklace from a hidden pocket in her sleeve.

"Now, that's a beauty! Well, let's get going then. This deserves a celebration." The man hugged the girl from behind and bit her neck hard enough to draw blood. "We'll rock that storehouse tonight."

* * *

Indeed, Cressar had been specially… enthusiastic that night. That meant more bruises on Bleach's body and an even deeper sleep for Cressar.

Without a sound whatsoever, Bleach raised her naked body from the beat-down mattress they were using as a bed in that storehouse and grabbed Cressar's backpack, from which, she retrieved a sharp knife that she betted would be able to cut bone.

It was an excess, really. It was enough to be able to cut through flesh.

As silently as she walked away from the mattress, Bleach walked back to it and kneeled over its sleeping occupant. The girl hovered the man for a moment, feeling her hate and disgust grow inside her.

Feeling her hand tremble in anticipation, Bleach raised the knife over her head.

Cressar opened his eyes in alert.

But it was too late. Before the man could do anything, the knife descended into his throat, making blood spurt from it and paint Bleach's face and hair red.

Had the girl been in a more rational state, she would've wondered what woke Cressar up... She had been completely silent and she knew there was just no way the man had felt her moving close to him; she was too good for that. There had been something that alerted Cressar of Bleach's killing intent, and it was not physical. Still, she thought nothing about that and just watched the man's body spasm beneath her.

After the body stopped trembling, Bleach allowed herself to relax for the first time since… ever. Feeling tears stroke down her eyes, Bleach watched Cressar's bloodied face, frozen in a silent scream of agony. It was enough to make her vomit.

Wordlessly, the girl cleaned her mouth with the back of her right hand and stood up from the bed once again. There was a shower in the storehouse. She had no doubt the water was ice-cold but that meant nothing to her; Bleach would bathe in a tub full of the substance after which she was named, if that meant she would be clean from the mix of bodily fluids that were covering all of her body and face.

* * *

When Bleach deemed herself clean enough, she walked back to the 'room' where Cressar's corpse laid. Without sparing it a second glance, Bleach walked to her backpack and retrieved a change of clothes: black pants, a white T-shirt, a dark purple hoodie and black and white sneakers.

After putting the clothes on, the girl walked to Cressar's backpack to search for his phone. She had to message Nair. If she didn't, the Mafia would hunt her down as a starved dog hunts down a piece of meat.

_'The night is beautiful. The moon is red.'_

Send.

There. Now she had a week to disappear from the country before anyone came looking for her. If she wasn't out by then… well, let's just say the Mafia's influence on the country was immense; in intensity and area. They would find her and the punishment would be much worse than a flagging and a day in the solitary.

Bleach didn't even bother to set up the place as if she and Cressar had been ambushed. The people are the Mafia after all; they have too much experience in faking murder scenes to be fooled by her.

As she walked towards the building's exit, Bleach's eyes settled on the ruby necklace's velvet box. If she took that with her, she would have enough money to live the rest of her life as a millionaire. But, that also meant that the Mafia would spare no resources to find her; she could go to the end of the world and they would go after her.

With a resigned sigh, Bleach turned her eyes away and walked out of the building.

It was over. She was free again


	3. Ging

Freedom, Bleach found, was not what she had expected.

To keep herself away from the Mafia's reach, Bleach ran away south, to one of the poorest countries of the continent. There, she lived in a similar way she had lived in Meteor City: stealing.

There were some differences though. While in Meteor City she stole just what she needed to survive (everyone had problems to make it through the day; stealing more than enough was like breaking an unspoken law), in her new "home" she stole what she needed and what she  _wanted._ Also, she didn't live in an improvised hut anymore and started to rent a motel room. There were two single beds, a small refrigerator that barely worked and a bathroom with a toilet seat, a sink and a shower that only provided cold water. Overall, it was a small, run-down and poorly furnished place, but it was better than to sleep on the streets.

Also, it was the better Bleach could afford; her profit with thieving had improved quite a lot from her times in Meteor City, but the town had only so much to offer the girl.

Not to mention that the girl's expenses had greatly increased since Meteor City. After all, in there, she didn't care for alcohol. After Cressar, she did. Very much so.

Because of that thirst, it was not rare for Bleach to spend more money than she earned in her thefts. When that happened, the girl had to cover the extra expenses using her body in a… different way. And so, she exchanged her simple clothes for a ridiculously tight and short skirt and a low cut T-shirt that left little to imagination.

She hated having to sell herself like that, but, after Cressar, it didn't matter anymore for the girl. She believed that, since he had ruined sex for her anyway, at the very least, she could make some profit with it.

Prostitution and thieving were very dangerous lines of work by themselves. Together, they put Bleach in more trouble than she cared to remember. Really, Bleach lost count of how many times her 'customers' got her drunk enough so they could be as rough as they wanted with her. When compared to these men, Cressar had been gentle and loving.

Good thing she had alcohol to help her forget.

* * *

Two years later, when Bleach was sixteen, something big happened on the outskirts of the town. It seemed that, while digging the foundations of a mine, some remains of ancient civilizations were found. As a result, many archeologists, historicists , engineers, excavation specialists, Hunters and even regular tourists started to flow in the town.

That was wonderful for Bleach; she never had made so much money with thieving as she did during that time.

That is, until she, unknowingly, picked a Hunter as her target.

* * *

Bleach spotted her first target for the day as soon as she walked out of her hotel. The man was tanned and had green-black hair; also, he was practically begging to be robbed. Really, he had everything: expensive sunglasses and watch, a last generation photographic camera around his neck, designers' clothes and a fat wallet that was almost jumping from the back pocket of his pants. All that was missing was a big 'ROB ME' neon sign over his head.

Bleach wasted no time and began stalking him.

The man walked in circles for the better part of an hour. Bleach was expecting that, since tourists were usually lost. What she didn't expect was the man's incredible luck; whenever the girl saw an opportunity to get close enough and simply pull his wallet out, something would caught his eye and he'd hastily change directions, leaving a very annoyed Bleach scurrying away from his line of sight and taking deep breaths to calm down.

The thief was starting to get irritated with that guy. He was supposed to be an easy and rewarding target; a winning lottery ticket! Instead, she had spent more than an hour following him and nothing. She was hungry and needing a drink. Badly.

Annoyed and feeling a headache starting to come, Bleach didn't think much when she noticed her target stop walking in circles and start to make his way to the outskirts of the town. The thief did fall back some steps as the number of people surrounding them decreased, but not once it came to her mind that the man had a trap waiting for her and that it would be best to give up that job.

Well, to be fair, the thought did came to her mind. But only when the man stopped walking, past the city borders, and they were the only people in a miles radius. The place was surrounded by some tents, wooden boxes and trucks; it was one of the camps occupied by the people involved in the archeological excavations.

Bleach was hiding behind one of the boxes and was about to turn back and head to the first bar she could find but…

"You can stop hiding now." The man spoke, scanning his surroundings with attentive eyes. "Come forward. I have a proposition for you."

Bleach tensed up immediately. It was the first time someone had ever noticed her presence. Not knowing what to do, the girl kept silent and willed herself to disappear even more; she didn't allow her breathing to become eradicate and she didn't allow her heart to speed up.

"Really, I just want to talk." The man tried again. When silence answered him once more, he let out an exasperated sigh and pulled his wallet out. "This is what you're after, right? If you come talk to me, I'll give to you."

Bleach didn't trust the man one bit, so she kept herself hidden.

"You make a move and I'll find you. I have all of the time in the world to wait."

He had a point.

"Fine." Bleach spoke as she approached the man.

"Good. My name is-"

Bleach interrupted the man by stretching her hand.

"Wallet first."

After Bleach received the wallet, they both walked to the nearest bar to talk. There was no way she would spend another second alone in that stranger's company.

Also, she  **needed**  a drink.

* * *

"Hey, Bleach!" One of the place's waitresses greeted as Bleach and the man sat at an isolated table.

"What's up, Maria?"

"Same old, same old. So, what can I bring you and your customer?"

The man's eyes widened at that and, had he been drinking something, he would undoubtedly choke on it. Had that waitress honestly insinuated that he was paying that girl, that couldn't be half of his age by the way, for that kind of… favors? He was even more shocked by the fact that the girl said nothing to deny it, what showed the man that she actually acted in that line of work.

Prostitution at such a young age… it was sad.

"Scotch on the rocks, as always. And make it a good scotch, Maria; he's paying."

"You got a rich one? Good for you, girl! And for you, sir?"

"Water is fine."

"Water…? W-Well, alright. I'll be back in a second."

With that, Maria left Bleach and the stranger alone.

"Well, let me introduce mys-"

"How the fuck did you know I was following you?" Bleach asked, cutting the man off. "I was perfectly silent and made sure to keep out of your line of sight."

The man watched Bleach for a few seconds before answering. When he did, he had a small, pleased smile on his lips.

"Indeed, your stealth is perfect. Sight, sound and tact. You found a way to follow and approach me without letting any of these senses give off your presence. But there are other ways to give away your location."

"Yes?"

"The most obvious: smell."

"Smell? I wear no fucking perfume." Then, Bleach raised her shirt to her nose and sniffed it. "I'm not stinking, either."

"Everyone has their natural scent; you don't need to wear perfume to have a smell."

"Are you telling me that you can actually smell me? From a distance? Dude, that's some crazy shit."

The man felt his eyebrow twitch at that last comment, but said nothing about it. "Yes, but that is a specialty of mine. What you must watch not to give yourself away is your Aura."

"My… Aura?"

"Yes. Whenever you were about to steal from me, I could feel your intent even if I could not feel you per se."

"So that's why you changed directions just at the right time. You knew I was following you since the fucking beginning."

"Not since the beginning; only after you first approached me to attempt the theft. Your Aura spiked almost immediately; it was just a little, yes, but it was enough for me to feel it. But, to be fair, I went to that area knowing that you'd come after me."

"The fuck?"

"Why do you think I'm looking like that, practically begging to be robbed? I knew there was a thief, a very proficient one, in that area. Everyone knows."

"He, my reputation precedes me. Crap. Anyway, so you came here specifically to find me."

"Yes."

"W-"

"I'm back!" Maria announced with a big smile, then put an iced glass of water in front of the dark-haired man. "Your water, sir."

"Thank you."

"Your scotch, sweetie." Maria said, putting a glass of the drink in front of the girl.

"Leave the bottle, Maria." Bleach said, eyeing the bottle on the waitress' tray.

Maria raised an eyebrow at the girl, giving her a dubious look. The man looked at her incredulous.

"I told you, didn't I? He's paying." The girl answered the unspoken question with a smile. "I can afford it today."

Maria glanced at the stranger. He nodded his head.

"You got very lucky with today's customer, sweetie." The waitress said, putting the bottle on the table. "But… be careful, 'kay?"

"Of course. Thanks, Maria."

After the waitress was gone again. Bleach downed her first glass in one gulp and served herself another one. The stranger's eyes widened at that.

"So, what the fuck do you want with me?" Bleach asked conversantly.

"I want to train you."

"Train me?"

"Yes. You have potential, lots of it. I want you to become a Hunter, like me."

Bleach's eyes widened at the word 'Hunter' and she quickly retrieved the wallet the man had given her earlier. It was full of sheets of paper; there was no money in it. And no Hunter's license.

"You piece of shit! You tricked me! And where the fuck is your Hunter's license? I won't believe in you, unless you show that shit to me."

Wordlessly, the man raised a card in front of him. Bleach tried to grab it, but the man raised it out of her reach.

"Look with your eyes."

"What? You don't trust me?" Bleach had an amused smirk on her lips. She knew the answer to that already.

"No."

"Whatever." With that, Bleach stood up to get a better look at the card. "It's authentic. You're really a fucking Hunter, huh? You sure don't look like one, Mister… Ging Freecs?"

"I'll take that as a compliment, Miss Bleach."

" _Anyway, can I count with your presence, Miss Psychopath?"_

"Hehehe; it has been years since anyone called me Miss."

"So, what do you say? Will you let me train you? It'll be hard, but I promise that, once we're done, no one will step on you anymore."

Bleach stopped to consider for a moment, but it was a very short moment. All the humiliation she endured through her years were more than enough to convince her. When she was stronger… then she would be truly free. She wouldn't need to follow anyone's orders again or have to sell herself for money.

"I can't afford to pay you shit."

"I didn't expect you to."

The girl downed another glass and stretched her hand to the man.

"Very well, but don't expect me to call you teacher or Master or shit, ok,  _Ging_?"

Ging shook her hand.

"Wouldn't dream of it,  _Bleach_."


	4. I'll Make A Hunter Out Of You

Bleach hated Ging Freecs. As a matter of fact, she was going to kill the son of a bitch. Painfully. and at great length.

As soon as she stopped trembling, sweating, vomiting, walking in circles and pulling her hair out, that is.

"YOU FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT! LET ME OUT!"

Silence.

"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU IF YOU DON'T OPEN THE DOOR RIGHT FUCKING NOW. THIS IS  **MY** ROOM, YOU SHIT! YOU CAN'T KEEP ME LOCKED IN HERE!"

Still no answer came.

"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! LET ME OUT! PLEASE, GING! I'M FUCKING BEGGING YOU! I WILL DO WHATEVER YOU ASK BUT LET ME OUT PLEASE! I-I-I…"

Bleach fell to her knees, still pulling her hair out, and started bawling like a starving babe. In her next words, her voice was low and broken.

"I-I… I need a fucking d-drink. Please, G-Ging; just a sip. P-Please…"

* * *

**_Five days earlier._ **

The first thing Ging did when Bleach agreed in becoming his student was to empty her hotel room.

With a bottle of gin in her hand, Bleach watched the man work from the doorway with a bored expression.

"Why the fuck are you doing that?" She asked after taking a big gulp of her drink.

"It's so we can begin your training."

"I don't see how this is going to make me stronger. I mean, I'm not even the one doing the fucking cleaning."

"That's because you wouldn't do it right."

The girl rolled her eyes and sipped her bottle again.

"Whatever."

Bleach stood in the center of her hotel room and looked around; everything but one mattress, one pillow, some bed sheets and covers had been removed. Also, Ging had shut the only window of the place, nailing wood planks over it.

"Dude, that's so fucking creepy. The room's all dark and empty and shit. It's like those asylum's rooms you see in the movies." Bleach spoke as she raised her gin bottle to her mouth.

But, before she could sip the drink, Ging walked to her and took the bottle from her hand.

"Hey!"

"You won't need this right now." Ging said, walking towards the door.

"Ah! We're finally going to train?" Bleach asked with an excited smile. "So, how is it going to be?"

"Hard."

With that simple word, Ging closed the door behind him

Brows furrowed in confusion, Bleach walked to the door and turned the doorknob to open it. She wasn't surprised to find it locked.

"Hey, Ging!" Bleach called. "What's up with this shit? Open up, man; that's not fucking funny."

Silence.

"What kind of training is this shit, anyway? What the fuck I'm supposed to do? Meditate?"

"I recommend it greatly. It would do you some good." She heard the man's voice from the other side of the door. "Specially taking into account what's to come."

Bleach didn't like the sound of that. Not one bit.

"And what is to come, Ging? Why the fuck did you take my bottle from me?"

"Abstinence."

Bleach's eyes widened and she started to punch and kick the door ferociously.

"YOU PIECE OF SHIT! DON'T YOU DARE TRY TO SOBER ME UP! GING, OPEN THIS FUCKING DOOR RIGHT NOW AND LET ME OUT! I DIDN'T AGREE TO THIS SHIT! I ALLOWED YOU TO TRAIN ME NOT TO MEDDLE IN MY FUCKING LIFE!"

"It's for your own good."

* * *

On the first two days, all Bleach felt was anger. She'd pace around her room, cursing under her breath, or lie on the mattress, staring up at the ceiling with narrowed eyes. But she would eat all of the three meals Ging took to her everyday.

On the third day, she started to feel hate. Her head hurt like a bitch as she punched her pillow, imagining it was that fucking Ging's head. She'd still eat, but she wouldn't be able to keep all of the food down for long.

From the fourth day on, she was desperate and sick. Bleach would slam her feet and hands on the door, demanding to be left out and begging for a drink. She ignored the food most of time; the only thing her stomach truly wanted was alcohol.

On the twelfth day, things started to get better. The girl didn't feel like a piece of crap anymore; she was calmer and her sickness was mostly gone. She resumed eating some of the food that was delivered to her. Alcohol wasn't  _always_  on her mind anymore.

On the seventeenth day, a smiling Ging opened the door.

"I think that's enough. Congratulations, Bleach, you overcame the worst part of your rehabilitation process."

* * *

"For such a skinny and undernourished girl, you have a killer right hook." Ging spoke from the outside of the motel room as he pressed a pack of ice to his face. "Now, open the door, Bleach."

"No fucking way!" The girl spat out from the other side of the locked door. "I'm not leaving this place until you disappear, you fucking prick! I never want to see your face again! You hear me, shithead?!"

"But, you agreed to let me train you." Ging tried. "You said you'd let me turn you into a Hunter."

"Well, I changed my fucking mind!"

"Come on, Bleach, you know that what I did was for your own good. Being sober will allow you to have more power over your life." Bleach was about to throw a 'Go fuck yourself!', but stopped herself. She was listening now; Ging could feel it in her aura. "You won't be a slave to alcohol anymore, Bleach. Now, you can live your life thinking about what you want to do, not about what you have to do to get another drink."

"... Go on."

"By being a Hunter, you'll have the means to achieve what you want. A Hunter license can give you anything: adventures, privileges, money... Name it and it will be yours. But, first, you need the power to acquire the license, and that is something I can give you."

Minutes of silence was the response that Ging received. The Hunter was about to give up and turn around when he heard the door's lock turning on the other side

Bleach opened the door and regarded the Hunter with narrowed eyes.

"Alright; let's do this."

* * *

The first thing Ging did was to take Bleach out shopping. He wouldn't be comfortable training a teenage girl dressed as a hooker and it wouldn't be practical for Bleach to train in a skirt. Bleach agreed to it happily and exchanged her skimpy, beat-down clothes for a pair of black mid-tight length shorts, a black tank top, a dark green hoodie and black, ankle-high combat boots.

Their next stop was the hospital to get a check-up. Bleach protested against it fiercely, since she knew she would get her ass handed to herself by whatever doctor that attended her. After all, until a couple of weeks ago, Bleach's life-style was that one of an alcoholic prostitute that consumed far too many morning-after pills and had a doubtful personal hygiene.

"I'm fucking warning you, Ging. I'm out of that fucking hospital at the first disgusted or judgmental look I receive, got it?"

"Calm down. We're just going to collect material for some exams today. No one will judge you."

* * *

The exams' results came three days later.

To say Bleach was nervous would be the understatement of the century. The girl had never cared about her health before but now that she was sober, it became a worrying matter to her. Her liver was most likely destroyed and who knows what kinds of disease she was carrying in her body?!

"Let's go, Ging." The girl pleaded. "Please, I fucking beg you; let's just forget these shitty exams and get on wit-"

"Bleach." A female doctor called. "Come with me."

"No scape now, Bleach. Go on. I'll be waiting for you here."

* * *

"You have quite the wild live, huh, young lady?" Doctor Rosa Rodriguez asked.

"I-I'm sorry."

"I don't want you to apologize. I want you to promise to take better care of yourself."

"What do I have, Doc?"

"The question is: what don't you have?"

"I'm going to die, ain't I?" Bleach asked scared.

The doctor's eyes widened for a second before an amused smile stretched across her face. "No, you're not going to die. You're undernourished, and your liver is a little rough around the edges. Also, your hormones are a mess and you have quite a number of STDs. But, if you eat better, lay off the alcohol and follow the STDs treatment correctly, you'll get a complete recovery."

The girl's eyes widened. "I-I'm going to be fine? No shit?"

"No shit. But, do me a favor and exchange those morning-after pills for condoms and regular contraceptive pills, alright? It's a crime how those things unbalance your body's hormones."

* * *

Ging wanted to bury himself in shame when Bleach walked out of the doctor's office, announcing happily to the whole waiting room that, among some "-minnor shit" she had syphilis, gonorrhea, candidiasis, a hormonal unbalance and was badly undernourished, but "-nothing really serious! Everything has a cure!"

* * *

A few days later, Bleach and Ging moved to the man's apartment, close to the archeological excavations where he was working. Ging's apartment, Bleach noted, was a place where even the mouthwash was alcohol free. The place was small, but tidy, composed of two bedrooms, a kitchen, a bathroom and a small living room.

In that living room, Bleach would learn about Nen and three of its Four Basic Principles.

"So, what are you going to teach me?"

"First, I'll baptize you and teach you how to keep your aura from leak-"

"Baptize? What the fuck is that?"

"Calm down; I'll explain it all in due time. So, as I was saying, I'll teach you how to control the flow of your aura through Ten. After that, I'll train you in two of the other three principles of Nen: Zetsu and Ren. These skills will be more than enough to get you through the Hunter exam with ease."

"There are more skills then?"

"Naturally. Controlling Nen is a lifetime process that varies from individual to individual. I'll initiate you in it and may even explain to you what Hatsu is all about, but you'll have to learn that one by yourself. After we are done with the basics, you're on your own. Does that sound good enough for you?"

"Of course. I get to be strong, rich  **and**  get fucking rid of you. I can't think there is a better agreement for me than that."

"Good."

"Well, let's get started, already. Baptize me, Ging."

* * *

Six months. It was what it took for Bleach to master the basics of Ten, Zetsu and Ren. She was happy for being able to evolve so fast, but, as much as it pained her to admit it, she didn't want Ging to leave her.

Yes, bad-ass, lone wolf Bleach had developed a bond with someone, so what?! It's not like there was something she could've done about it; that man was the first person of the world that cared for her without asking anything back. From the moment they met onwards, Ging had provided Bleach everything she needed: food, clothes, a proper shelter, support in keeping her sober and even some sort of education. Bleach didn't have to steal or prostitute herself anymore. Truth be told, she missed doing the first, but stopping the second made everything worth it.

Long story short, Ging sobered her up and returned her life to her.

And Bleach lo-  _liked_ , and respected, him for it. So, she took the best course of action she could think of.

"I really don't understand why you're having such a hard time with Zetsu, Bleach. You did it almost perfectly before, without even knowing about Nen."

"I don't fucking know, okay? Just… stop complaining and help me out."

Yes. She pretended to have difficulties.

* * *

Granted, Ging is a scarily smart person, but, the thing is: Bleach is a wonderful actress and, let's be frank here, Ging doesn't have much experience when dealing with people on a more personal basis. That all culminated with two months of unnecessary training until the man noticed he was being played.

"I just don't get it, Ging! That Ren thing is fucking hard!"

"Why are you doing this, Bleach?"

"Yeah, rub on my nose that I'm doing shit! That will make me learn Ren faster!"

"No, I mean, why are you pretending to suck at controlling Nen when you already have a great grasp on all of the three principles I taught you?"

Bleach stopped projecting her aura immediately, letting it flow in its calm and steady Ten.

"When did you realize?" She asked, giving Ging a smirk.

"Last night I came back a little earlier from the excavations and saw you practicing Ren perfectly on your own." Ging answered, crossing his arms over his chest. "Now, I will ask again: why are you doing this?"

"….." Bleach mumbled, crossing her arms as well and staring at the ground.

"Louder."

"I said!" She snapped, before lowering her voice again. "I just don't want you to go away. I really like you, Ging."

The Hunter said nothing, but his wide and scared eyes spoke volumes.

"Say something!"

"…You didn't curse. That's nice."

Ging couldn't help but think that Bleach's incredulous expression was one of the funniest things he had ever seen.

"I didn't  _fucking_  curse? That's all you have to  _fucking_ say? Really?!"

"What do you expect me to say?"

"Nothing!"

"What?"

"I don't want you to say shit!" The girl yelled, stalking towards the man. Ging wasn't ashamed to admit he took a few steps back, until his back hit the wall behind him. "I just… Agh!"

Bleach did something that shocked Ging and herself. She roughly grabbed the front of the man's shirt and pulled him down, crashing his lips on hers in a desperate kiss.

The Hunter stood frozen, eyes wide and unbelieving as the girl – that still couldn't be half of his age! – tried to coax him in kissing her back. Unfortunately to her, the man kept his lips firmly shut, not letting anything, like a tongue, go in or out of his mouth.

After moments of a frustrated attempt at a kiss, Bleach lessened the grip she had on his shirt and lowered her face so she laid her forehead on the man's chest. Ging still didn't move.

"What the fuck is wrong with me?" Bleach said in a whisper. "Is it because I used to fuck other men for money? Or because I was a drunk? Or am I not pretty enough?"

"It's not because any of this, Bleach." Ging said awkwardly. "There is nothing wrong with you. It's just not right for me; I don't see you like that."

"Why?"

"Many reasons." Ging settled and removed Bleach's hands from him. "That's enough for today. Go to sleep."

Tightening her hands into fists by her side, Bleach glared daggers at the floor as Ging walked away from her.

No matter. Let the fucker go. She was better off on her own; had always been. Nothing lasts forever anyway; people come and go like leaves in the wind. So why sho- why  _did_  she care about one man? She didn't! He had been kind to her, so what? She hadn't needed him to be kind to her then, and she sure as hell didn't need it now!

"Fuck you, Ging…" Bleach wiped her head to glare at Ging's retreating figure. "Yeah! Run away without another word, you shithead! I never want to see you again!"

* * *

A few hours later, Bleach changed her mind and walked to his bedroom.

She wasn't being fair to Ging; she couldn't be mad at him just because he didn't lo-  _like_  her as she did him. He had helped her so much; the least she could do was talk  _calmly_  to him about it and ask him  _nicely_ to stay with her, even if just as a friend.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

"Ging, open up, please. I swear I just want to talk."

Silence. Honestly, she was getting tired of having one-sided conversations with the Hunter through closed doors. The times she begged him to let her out on that bizarre rehab were more than enough for the girl.

"Don't you ignore me, Ging; you know how much I hate it. Open this door, right now! … Please."

Silence again.

"Alright. That's fucking it!"

Bleach kicked the door down to reveal Gings's simple, neat and very much empty bedroom.

"What the fuck?"

The girl didn't waste a second in entering the room, scanning it with narrowed eyes; save for a bed, a wardrobe, a desk and its chair, the place was completely empty. Bleach opened the wardrobe's doors and drawers; their insides were empty as well.

"That son of a bitch took off!" Bleach complained as she moved to open the desk's drawers. "That litt- What's this?"

One of the desk's drawers had a fake bottom. A very well-made one at that. As a matter of fact, hadn't Bleach worked as a thief for the Mafia in her early teenage years, she wouldn't have been able to notice it. Quickly, the girl dropped to her knees and searched the bottom of the drawer; there, she found a small hole, of the size of the tip of mechanical pencil's graphite lead.

Bleach ran back to her room to grab the mechanical pencil Ging gave her when he had her start taking private lessons in History and Geography – she hated the lessons and didn't learn shit from them, but it made Ging happy so she went with it.

With the writing instrument in hand, Bleach went back to Ging's room and inserted its graphite lead in the hole under the drawer. As in a trick of magic, something clicked in the drawer and the fake bottom popped up, revealing a fat brown envelope.

The girl tore the thing open avidly, finding some money and a small note.

' _You're ready to take care of yourself now. Keep sober and become a great Hunter._

_But, no matter how great of a Hunter you become, I doubt you'll be able to find me while I'm looking for my own adventures._

_If you're looking for adventures as well, the Hunter Exam that will take place in two years' time promises great thrills to its contestants._

_Ging.'_

"You really don't know how to be discreet, do you, Ging? So, you'll give me a hint of your whereabouts in two years, on the Hunters Exam, huh? That note is so fucking obvious that you could've just written so. Well, I'll take your bait and sit the next couple of exams out. And, mark my words, I'll find you, you shithead." Bleach crumpled the note in her hand. "AND I'LL KICK YOUR FUCKING ASS!"

* * *

**_A couple of months later._ **

"Thank you for scolding my son for me, Kaito. He should know better than to mess with fox-bears." Ging spoke with a smile, laying a hand on Kaito's shoulder. Then, the brunette let his hand drop and turned around. "You know… I've trained someone else recently. A girl named Bleach."

"Really?" Somehow, the idea of Ging taking another pupil seemed strange to Kaito. "Did you give her the task of finding you too?"

"Naturally." Ging answered, throwing a smirk over his shoulder. "But I don't really expect she'll follow through. I think she may not even bother to try."

"Why did you ask her to track you, then?" Kaito asked, walking to stand beside his once-teacher.

Ging shrugged. "She had just overcame her alcoholism and needed some sort of long-term objective. So, I put her to search for me, but only after she finished the Hunter Exam that will happen two years from now."

Kaito raised an eyebrow. "What's going to happen in that Exam?"

"My son will take it. I'm sure." Ging answered with a proud smile before shrugging again. "But that's not the point. Preparing yourself for the Hunter Exam is a good reason to stay sober, don't you agree? Hopefully, she'll even forget about me in these two years window I gave her. If she doesn't forget about me by then... well, finding out I have a son will certainly make her do so."

"Forget about you?" Kaito smirked. "She developed a crush on you, didn't she?"

"Yeah." Ging grumbled. "But she's an independent girl. I'm sure that two years will be more than enough for her to forget about me."

"I don't know about that. You're a man hard to forget, Ging."

* * *

**_Two years later._ **

"Good mor- What are you doing, Bleach?"

"Oh, hey, Alec. Just cleaning my room; puting everything away."

"I can see that. But why?"

"I'm going away to take the Hunter Exam. I told you about it, remember?"

"It has been two years already, huh?"

"Yes."

"When are you going?"

"Today; as soon as your dad – I mean, Mr. Mitchel - return with Gabby from her friend's birthday party."

"So soon?"

"Yep."

"Man, dad won't stop complaining about you going away. He's always talking that hiring you to help out in the store was the best decision he ever made. And mom! She will miss having you living with us; no one compliments her food as much as you do. Gabby will throw a fit for not having you to play make-believe with her anymore."

"They will get over it."

"…"

"What?"

"Don't go."

"Alec…"

"Stay here with us and forget that Hunter Exam! You like it here; mom and dad love having you in the house and helping out in the store. Gabby likes you more than she does me. And I lo-"

"Don't, Alec. Just don't."

"Why not?"

"Because you don't love me. Not like that, at least. You're too young to understand what that kind of love is, anyway."

"I am 13!"

"And I'm almost 20."

"I will grow up!"

"Alec, come here. Look at me. I like you and your family. You all have been extremely kind to me; getting me a job in your dad's store, letting me rent your guest room and just being there for me as if I was part of the family-"

"You are!"

"-but it's time for me to go. I told you from the beginning that I wouldn't be here for long; that this was all temporary."

"But-"

"No buts, Alec. It's time to say goodbye. Now, don't cry, I need you to be strong for Gabby, your little sister, alright? Can you do this for me?"

"Y-Yes."

"Good boy. Now, come down the stairs with me, yes? I think I heard Mr. Mitchel's car pulling in."

* * *

"Man, saying good bye was so fucking hard." Bleach mumbled to herself as she made her way to the port, carrying nothing but the clothes on her body and some money in her pockets. "They were really nice. I didn't want to hurt their feelings like that. Well, fuck it; what's done is done."

From the distance, Bleach saw a wooden boat floating to the harbor. A smirk stretched on her face.

"Just you fucking wait, Ging. I'll find you."

 


	5. Hunter Exam: Making Friends? Not Many

"Congratulations! You're the first participant to arrive." A green, bean-faced, little man greeted Bleach, raising to her a pin with the number 1. Of course, she was first; Bleach had two years to prepare herself for this specific exam. "Here's your number; please keep it pinned to your chest at all times. Be careful not to lose it."

Bleach took the pin silently.

"Make yourself comfortable, Miss. It'll take some hours before the exam can begin."

Still in silence, Bleach nodded her head. To anyone, the girl seemed to be calm and at ease, but, if you were to listen to her thoughts, you'd find out that she was shocked beyond belief.

After all,  _THAT MIDGET'S HEAD IS A FUCKING GREEN BEAN! JUST… WHAT THE FUCK?!_

* * *

As the contestants arrived, Bleach couldn't help but wonder why that year's Exam was going to be exciting; they all looked so weak and uninteresting…

"You are number 44, sir. Please put your number on your chest and don't take it off."

"Understood~. "

Alright, maybe not all of them.

As Bleach watched contestant number 44, a redheaded man in a most ridiculous jester outfit, she prayed that he wasn't the reason Ging had sent her on this particular Exam, because, if that was the case…

The clown's eyes went directly to Bleach and the predatory smile he gave her made the white-haired girl gulp in fear.

…if that was the case, Ging was most certainly trying to get her killed.

* * *

The next one that gave Bleach the creeps was number 301; a freak with needles pinned in his head.

"Fucking weirdo…" Bleach mumbled to herself as she watched him walk through the room. The girls was doing her best to pretend not to notice that number 44 was approaching her silently –but not with Zetsu activated, she noted - from behind. Maybe, if she ignored him, he'd go away.

"He is, isn't he? "

Tough luck, girl.

Slowly, Bleach turned her head to the redhead smiling down at her. "Hello."

"Hello~! "

"…"

"…"

"Can I help you with something?"

"Hmmm… I didn't scare you, did I." 44 more stated than asked, his eyes twinkling predatorily. "I'm Hisoka. What's your name?"

Bleach really wanted to tell the man to fuck off and leave her alone, that she didn't care about his stupid name, but, since that would most likely get her killed, she just answered his question.

"Bleach."

"Bleach? How unfortunate for you~." The man commented, making the girl narrow her eyes at him. "Still, you seem to have some sort of potential. I'll be watching you~! " With that, the jester walked away.

Just one thing went through Bleach's head: oh, fuck.

* * *

The time for the other contestants to arrive was ending and Bleach was certain that trying to kiss Ging was the worst decision of her life, since it was most likely the reason he sent her to that Hunter Exam to die at the hands of Hisoka.

That is, until the last three contestants arrived.

The girl's eyes widened and her jaw went slack as she watched the bean-midget hand the number 405 for a smiling, miniature version of Ging.

She couldn't believe what she was seeing.

Most of all, she couldn't believe in the only possible explanation for the fact that a kid who looked exactly like Ging was standing in front of her: Ging, the one and only, the fucking  _asexual_  Ging, had a son!

"Y-You…" Bleach breathed out, pointing to number 405.

Curious and confused, the boy turned his gaze to her, pointing to himself as well. "Me?"

"You're Ging Freecs' son! Admit it!"

The boy's eyes widened and a big smile broke in his face as he ran towards the white-haired girl.

"You know my father?!" The boy asked excitedly. "Do you know where he is?"

That was when all of the pieces fell into place.

Ging, that manipulative piece-of-shit! He knew his son would take the Hunter Exam and he knew he would be looking for him; that was why he sent her there. Bleach wouldn't find a thing about Ging's whereabouts in that fucking Exam, because this twisted game of hide-and-seek she was playing wasn't about him and her. Actually, she was sure that she wasn't even an actual player. She betted that the bastard just wanted someone to help out his son in his search for him!

If only she knew that Ging's intention was the complete opposite: scare her off with his son…

Well, actually, she would've said the same thing she was about to say:

"No, I don't know where your piece-of-shit father is." The boy's innocent eyes widened so much at hearing Bleach cursing that it seemed they would pop out of their sockets. "But I'll find him and I'LL FUCKING KILL HIM!"

"…"

"…"

Ging's kid and his companions stared at Bleach as if she was crazy, which, in all honesty, wasn't so far of the truth.

"Eh… My name is Gon." The boy said at last with a smile. "This is Leorio and this is Kurapika." Bleach blinked at the boy, surprised that he'd still talk to her after she threatened his father of death. "What's your name?"

"… Bleach."

"Nice to meet you, Bleach!" Gon said enthusiastically. "Would you like to stay with us during the Exam?"

Now, Gon was the one being stared at as if he had lost his mind. Maybe the boy was the crazy one, instead of her.

"Kid, I mean no offense, but: are you fucking crazy?"

Gon frowned at Bleach and crossed his arms over his chest. "Mito-san says it's wrong to curse."

"You're going to complain about my cursing as well?" Bleach sighed in annoyance. "You truly are your father's son."

"Thank you!"

Bleach was ready to shot a 'It wasn't a fucking compliment." At the boy, but his big brown eyes made her hold it back. She hated to admit it, but Ging's son was adorable.

"So, want to stay with us?"

"WHAT?! YOU WERE SERIOUS BACK THEN, GON?" The old man, Leorio, complained.

It seemed that the blonde – boy? girl? Bleach wasn't sure – was about to protest against the offer as well but Bleach's words cut him off.

"I guess so. It's not like I have something else to do, anyway."

It was with great pleasure that she saw the old man and the blonde narrow their eyes suspiciously at her.

"Yay! I hope we become good friends!" Gon exclaimed with a huge smile on his face.

"Yeah… Well, I don't know ab-"

"Hey! I haven't seen you guys around here before!" A voice came from up high.

All four heads turned up to see a fat man with a potato nose smiling down at them; number 16.

Bleach frowned in annoyance. She knew that man. It was Tonpa; he had tried to strike up conversation with her as soon as he had gotten there, offering her a soda as a sign of friendship. Naturally wary of strangers, the girl refused the drink and said she wanted to be left alone. Still, the fat man kept trying to talk to her and to get her to drink one of his sodas until Bleach kindly told the guy to fuck off before she shoved that soda can so far up his ass that it would come out of his mouth.

Now, in the company of Gon, Leorio and Kurapika, Bleach couldn't be as rude to Tonpa and tell him to go away. Also, taking into account how nice Gon was to strangers, she'd have to endure the fat bastard for a good while.

As Tonpa engaged Gon in a conversation, Bleach groaned in annoyance, already regretting agreeing to stay with them during the exam.

That was why she preferred doing things on her own.

* * *

A couple of minutes later, after Hisoka killed one of the 405 applicants, a man in a purple suit appeared and said that anyone who wished to give up on the Hunter Exam walked back to the elevator.

No one moved.

"Very well, then." The man in the purple suit, Satotsu was his name, spoke. "All 404 applicants here will participate in Phase One." With that, he turned around and started to march away.

The four were quick to fall in step after him, just as all of the other contestants.

"No one left..." Leorio commented. "I was hoping some would withdraw though."

"Then you're stupider than you look." Bleach responded matter-of-factly. "Everyone had to pass through some shitty challenges to get here. No one would waste that effort and fucking give up before even trying, old man. Not unless there were some sort of consolation prize in for them."

"I s- DID YOU JUST CALL ME 'OLD MAN'?!" Leorio complained, glaring and pointing an accusing finger at Bleach.

"Forget it, Leorio. And she's right; people don't spend their time doing something unless they receive something back." Kurapika spoke in an appeasing voice, before turning to look at Bleach with suspicious eyes. "But to say that in such a frank and rude manner. It was quite uncalled for."

The amused smirk the girl gave him made the blonde tighten his fists in annoyance.

After that, the group fell in silence as they walked calmly after the man in the purple suit. Until, the examiner started to speed up his pace.

"W-What?" Leorio asked no one in particular.

"The people in front started running." Gon observed.

"He has picked up the pace." Kurapika explained

"So a resistance test it is…" Bleach said under her breath. "Heh, bring it on, Mister First Examiner."

* * *

"Ne, Bleach." Gon called as he ran besides the girl. Kurapika was close behind, while Leorio lagged some feet. "How did you meet Ging?"

"Heh, not the most interesting tale, Gon." The girl answered with a smirk pulling on her lips. "A couple of years back; I lived as a poor orphan in a shi- run-down city of a poor country. I have no fu- no idea why, but Ging saw potential in me and decided he wanted to train me to become a Hunter." She explained, conveniently leaving out her career as a thief and prostitute and drinking problem. "Then, after he deemed me ready, the bastard took off, leaving me just a fuc- note that asked me to take this Hunters Exam."

"Then he wanted us to meet!" The boy exclaimed. "I bet he intended for us to look for him together!"

"I think so too." Bleach agreed with a nod. "The shi- bastard knew I'd be looking for him, like you."

"Hahaha! Ging sure is incredible!"

Bleach couldn't keep the small, affectionate smile from stretching on her lips. "Yes, Gon. Yes, he is."

That little show of affection didn't go unnoticed by Kurapika. Though the blonde didn't comment on it, he did feel somewhat reassured by that smile; it showed that the white-haired girl wasn't as rotten as her mouth.

As soon as it got there, though, the smile was replaced by an ugly scowl and she was surrounded by a dark aura. "But, your father or not, I'm still going to kick that shithead's ass."

Well, maybe she wasn't such a bad person, but Kurapika was most definitely not trusting her.

Kurapika was removed from his thoughts by Leorio's loud voice. He, Bleach and Gon quickly turned their heads to see the man complaining to a white-haired boy that skated by.

"Hey! Wait up, brat! You should show some respect to the Hunter Exam!"

"What do you mean?" The boy asked.

"Why are you using a skateboard?! That's cheating!"

"Why?"

Bleach rolled her contact-covered eyes. "Don't listen to him, kid. He's just fucking jealous because he has to endure the running and you don't."

"No cussing, Bleach! Mito-san said so."

Ignoring Gon, Leorio turned his glare to Bleach. "I'm not! And he is cheating! This is an endurance test!"

"No, it isn't." Gon cut in. "The examiner just said that we should follow him."

"Even you, Gon? Whose side are you two on?!"

"Not yours, old man." Bleach answered the obviously rhetorical question with a big smirk on her lips.

"Hey…" The skater boy called to Gon. "How old are you?"

"Twelve!"

Then, the new kid surprised everyone by getting off his skate – in a super cool way, Gon might add – and saying that he'd run too.

"I'm Killua." The boy said.

"I'm Gon."

* * *

Bleach noticed that Leorio was getting slower and slower, but she just prayed that Gon wouldn't notice it; the boy would surely stop when - not if - the old man stopped.

As the girl predicted, Leorio stopped and, soon after, Gon and Killua did too.

"Oh, well." Bleach said with a shrug of her shoulders but she didn't stop running. She knew Gon would catch up soon and, in all honesty, she couldn't care less about Leorio.

* * *

"Ah, Bleach." Kurapika called as the girl was about to run by him. "Where are Gon and Leorio? Weren't they with you?"

"Yeah, but the old man wasn't able to fucking keep up and made a pit-stop. Gon stayed with him."

"Why am I not surprised to see that you left him there and don't feel guilty about it? Really, you have less honor than Leorio."

"Why am I not surprised that you are fucking nagging me, already?" Bleach complained, very annoyed at the blonde. "Also, do me a favor and save that honor bullshit to those that care to listen to it, 'kay? You don't know shit about me so don't you fucking judge or complain about my values, Mr. I'm-better-than-thou."

With that, the girl sped up, leaving an equally annoyed Kurapika behind.

* * *

Soon, Bleach was right behind Satotsu, alongside a handful of others participants and, amongst them...

"If it isn't our little cleaning product~! "

Ah, fuck.

"Hisoka." Bleach greeted – if you could call that a greeting – pretending not to notice that number 301 was approaching them; maybe, unlike Hisoka, he'd just go away and leave her be. She sure hoped so, because dealing with one creep at a time was more than enough for her.

But, then again, when has this story's author given her characters any peace?

"Kata… Kata…"

"And you are…?" The girl asked, turning her head to look at the human pincushion.

"Kata… Kata…"

She blinked and turned her head to Hisoka.

"Gittarackuru. " The clown offered.

"And you two are talking to me because…?"

"No reason. Just wanted to see how you're holding up this little test. Wouldn't want you to give up before getting rip, you know? " Hisoka asked with a smile that, in another person's face would be friendly and inviting. In Hisoka's, it was homicidal. "Well, good luck! Bye, bye~!"

"Kata…"

Bleach slowed down as the two sped up - side by side, she noticed - wanting to put as much distance between her and them as she could. When she was sure they were out of hearing range, she couldn't help but complain out loud.

"I can't believe this shit! The two creepiest guys around here are fucking friends! Should've stayed with the old man…"

* * *

Bleach was very happy to see the end of the tunnel less than a mile away from her. Sure, she could have a good physique but there was something that she would never deny:

"Running fucking sucks."

"Bleach!" Gon called, approaching her fast with Killua. "You're really good at running."

"Considering my former line of work, I should be." The girl replied absent minded. Something flashed in Killua's eyes at her words.

"And what line of work was that?" The boy asked suspiciously.

Bleach raised an eyebrow at the new kid. That boy was not dumb, not dumb at all.

"That's none of your business, brat." Bleach answered with a malicious smirk. "But I can tell you, IF you tell me what was yours."

Killua's eyes widened in surprise. Bleach's smirk widened.

"Your footsteps are very quiet, you know. Also, the way you move is too fuc- controlled and precise." Bleach explained, turning her head to stare right ahead of her. "So you were either a thief or an as-"

"Ne, Bleach!" Gon cut in, sensing the atmosphere getting a little too tense for his liking. "Killua and I are racing to the top; the loser has to buy dinner to the winner! Want to race with us?"

"Gon, of course she won't ag-"

"I'm in."

Gon smiled. "Yay!"

Killua scowled. "What?"

"Don't get me wrong, brat. Running sucks, but I'm not one to pass a free meal." Bleach stated seriously. "I hope you two have a shi- a lot of money because my stomach is closest thing to a black hole you'll ever find."

* * *

" **GOAL!"**

"Yay! I win!"

"What are you talking about, Gon? I was faster."

"You two boys are crazy. It's so fuc- obvious that I got here first."

"No way! I was faster!"

"No, I was."

"I'm telling you, it was me. You two are fu- buying me dinner."

"No, you are buying me dinner."

"Nu-uh, I'm the one that's going to be treated dinner."

"But I was faster!"

"No, I was!"

"I already said that it was me."

"Satotsu-san, who was faster?"

"I believe you three crossed the finish line simultaneously."

"Oh… Then, I'll buy Killua dinner. And Killua will buy Bleach dinner. And Bleach will buy me dinner."

"…"

"…"

"I don't get it…"

"Don't feel bad, brat; it doesn't make fucking sense for me neither."

"Mito-san said no cussing, Bleach!"

* * *

"God fucking damn it!" Bleach complained under her breath as she used Zetsu and ran on the opposite direction Satostu had gone to. "Follow the examiner. Follow the examiner or you fucking _die_! So simple! So fucking simple! But, do those three shitheads do that? No, they find a way to fuck up and get lost in this thick as shit mist with none other than that homicidal clown! Fucking hell! And the worst? I'm going after them! Why the fuck am I doing something so fucking stupid anyway? That's right, Gon is Ging's son. A very much adorable son at that! In my whole fucking life, it is fucking  _today_  that I choose to demonstrate that I have a fucking conscience! FUCK!"

* * *

When Bleach caught up to Hisoka, she found Leorio walking towards him with a stick in hand, as if that little thing would do much – if anything - to that clown. From her hiding place behind a tree, Bleach took comfort in knowing Gon wasn't facing off the jester.

That comfort ended when the fishing buoy of the boy's rod flew on Hisoka's face.

Really, why the fuck did Ging's son have to be suicidal?!

Bleach watched as the jester slowly walked towards Gon as the boy tried to hit the creepy clown with his rod again. Bleach silently grabbed a stone of the ground and held it tightly in her left hand.

She watched as Leorio tried and failed in stopping the clown, only earning a powerful punch on the face.

Wait.

The clown was getting closer to Gon.

Wait.

Closer.

Wait.

"I'm getting really excited now… "

Now.

Still using Zetsu, the girl threw the stone, hitting Hisoka on the face as Gon had done a few moments before. The only difference was that Bleach wasted no time and ran in a circle until she reached the opposite direction from where she was. Bleach's Zetsu was so good and her steps so quiet that Hisoka wasn't able to notice that. On her new spot, she grabbed another rock and threw it, hitting Hisoka as well.

Bleach was about to do that again, but Gon, instead of running away as she had hoped he'd do, under some sort of ludicrous illusion that he could beat Hisoka, used that momentum to try and deliver a direct attack at the jester. Bleach watched that with wide and unbelieving eyes. Ging's son sure was brave. And stupid. More stupid than brave, actually.

Obviously, Hisoka was able to interrupt the boy's attack, grabbing him by the neck with his left hand.

Bleach was about to throw another rock, but Hisoka's voice stopped her.

"Stop throwing rocks and step out, little mouse. Or I'll kill the boy."

Jaw clenched and eyes narrowed, Bleach walked out of her hiding spot and in Hisoka's direction.

"If it isn't, Soap! "

The girl's left eye twitched. "Bleach."

"Same thing." Hisoka settled. "You came to help your friends, as well~? Didn't think you were the type."

Bleach just glared harder at the clown.

"How wonderful…" Hisoka purred as his eyes darted between Gon's and Bleach's. "I really do love your expressions! "

To Bleach's despair, Hisoka started to tighten his grip on Gon's neck, getting to the point where the boy was about to pass out.

"Hiso- ?!"

To the girl's surprise, the jester let go of Gon, allowing him to fall to the ground. Bleach wasted no time; she jumped to the kid's side, grabbed him, and jumped back; never taking her eyes from Hisoka.

It was of no use though, for the psychopath clown practically teleported to their direction, materializing in a crouching position right in front of them.

"Do not fear~." The jester spoke in a calm voice. "I will not kill your friend. He passed." He said looking to Leorio, as if the old man's life was the reason of Bleach's fear. "Yes, and you two passed, as well. Become fine Hunters. "

After that, Hisoka left, carrying Leorio over his left shoulder.

Just then, Bleach noticed how much her arms and legs were trembling. During most of her life, the girl had put herself in risk of being beaten and/or raped but never before had she been so close to death. It was the most terrifying experience of her life, but, also, it was oddly thrilling. Surviving a near-death encounter was almost as good as stealing without letting the victim notice what she was doing.

A second later, Kurapika ran to her and Gon asking if they were alright.

* * *

The three of them, guided by the super-nose Gon inherited from his father, made their way to the site of the Second Phase.

There, they found a still stunned Leorio sitting with his back laying on a tree.

"Leorio!" Gon called as he ran to the man with Bleach and Kurapika on his heels.

"Ah, that hurts… Why am I all beat up?" The old man asked. "My memory is kinda hazy…"

Bleach crossed her arms and felt an amused smirk stretch across her lips. "That creepy c- MPHNG?!"

"We shouldn't tell him what happened!" Kurapika whispered harshly in Bleach's ear as he slapped his hand over the girl's mouth.

The white-haired girl rolled her eyes, but nodded all the same.

As Kurapika let go of the girl, a voice called to Ging's son. "Gon!"

"Killua!"

"I can't believe you guys actually got here. I really thought you were done for."

"I just tracked the smell of Leorio's cologne." Gon explained as if it was the most usual thing to do.

Killua's eyes widened. "What? That's how you got here? You sure are weird."

"You can say that again." Bleach commented in a detached manner as she looked around. More people than she expected passed the First Phase. "Not bad at all."

"Excellent work, everyone." Satotsu commented as he stood in the front of a large gate. "Phase Two of the Exam will occur here, in the Biska Forest Park. Now, I shall take my leave. Best of luck to all of you."

With that, Satotsu marched away in that weird way of his and the gate opened, revealing the two next examiners: an extremely fat man, large as the moon, and a girl with five pigtails that pointed to five different directions, like the tips of a star.

"What an honor, our next examiners are the fucking moon itself and a star." Bleach commented with an amused smirk.

"You should not talk badly of other people based on their appearances." Kurapika scolded.

"Take that stick off your ass, will you?" Bleach asked, but all she got was a glare. "Whatever. Let's just get this shit done with. It seems the second Phase is going to be fucking boring, so I want to pass to the Third Phase quickly."

* * *

"No one passes to the Third Phase."

Bleach felt her anger-o-meter spike dangerously with those words. That little bitch! Choosing cooking as the Second Phase was just fucking ridiculous! Just because she was a Gourmet Hunter doesn't mean that cooking is an essential skill to become a fucking Hunter!

"Ne, Bleach…" Gon called.

"What!"

The poor boy flinched.

"Your eyes… there's a little evil in them."

"So what?!"

"It makes you look like Hisoka..."

Wordlessly, the white-haired girl turned her gaze to the jester, who was watching her with an amused smile on his lips. Bleach shuddered and dropped her glare. She might've been hating Menchi then, but looking like Hisoka was just unacceptable.

"So… What now?" Bleach asked as they watched Menchi argued with number 255. "We try again next year?"

"I guess so." Gon answered, watching number 255 get slapped away to a wall by Buhara.

" **Now, it would be excessive to fail every single applicant."**  A voice came from the skies, making everyone turn their heads up.

Flying above their heads was a blue zeppelin with a 'XX' symbol on it.

"That's the symbol of the Hunters' Association!" Someone spoke in surprise.

Then, from the zeppelin, that was flying some hundreds feet in the air, an old man jumped. WITH NO FUCKING PARACHUTE OR ANYTHING!

"That old man is fucking crazy!" Bleach yelled as she shielded her eyes from the dirt that the man raised when he fell on the ground.

"Who's that geezer?"

"The Chairman of the Selection Committee." Menchi answered. "He's in charge of the Hunter Exam; Chairman Netero."

* * *

In the end, the Second Phase was redone. The new task was to retrieve an egg from the nest of Spider-Eagles. It was all about jumping down a cliff, grabbing an egg and using the updrafts to float back up.

All of Gon's party passed.

* * *

After the Second Phase was over and done with, all of the participants boarded the zeppelin to go to the site of the Third Phase. It would take them almost 12 hours to arrive at their destination so they were left to do as they pleased in the zeppelin.

"Gon! Let's explore this thing!" Killua offered.

"Yes!"

Both boys took off.

"How do they have so much energy? I'm heading straight to bed." Leorio said as he watched the two boys take off.

"Me too." Kurapika agreed before turning to the white-haired girl that was about to walk away from them. "What about you, Bleach?"

"I'm heading to the dining room. The only thing that Dream Egg was good for was to open up my fucking appetite." Bleach answered. "I guess I'll see you shitheads when we arrive. Or not. Who knows?" Then, she walked away.

"That girl really annoys me." Leorio said with a frown on his face.

"Me too. She cusses too much and doesn't seem to care about anyone but herself." Kurapika agreed. But, then, the image of her holding Gon when he found them both after their encounter with Hisoka came to mind. "Though, sometimes, I think it's all a façade."

"Uh? What was that?"

"Nothing." The blonde dismissed, shaking his head softly. "Forget about it. Let's go find a place to sleep."


	6. Hunter Exam: Hearing Voices - Again

_"I'm heading straight to bed." Leorio said._

_"Me too." Kurapika agreed before turning to the white-haired girl that was about to walk away from them. "What about you, Bleach?"_

_"I'm heading to the dining room. The only thing that Dream Egg was good for was to open up my fucking appetite." Bleach answered. "I guess I'll see you shitheads when we arrive. Or not. Who knows?" Then, she walked away._

_"That girl really annoys me." Leorio said with a frown on his face._

* * *

"Ah! I'm fucking stuffed!" Bleach commented with a satisfied grin as she patted her now two times larger belly and looked around the extremely luxurious dining room. "And the food was so fucking good! I guess those shitty Gourmet Hunters are good for something after all."

"Kata… You eat a lot despite being skinny… Kata…" Gittarackuru's voice came from a few feet behind. Bleach turned her head to glare at him from over her shoulder.

"And you can talk somewhat like a normal human being despite being a fucking pincushion." The girl retorted, glaring at the creep that was taking a place on the chair on the other side of the table, right in front of her.

"… So edgy… Kata…"

"You're not eating anything?"

"No."

"Then why are you fucking here, anyway?"

"Waiting… Kata…"

Bleach almost asked for what. Almost. But, asking that would mean she was interest in talking to Gittarackuru, which she was not. So, she did what she usually did in these situations: she ignored him, hoping he'd go away.

It didn't work. Twenty seconds passed (yeah, she was counting), and Gittarackuru was still there. With an exaspereted sigh and a roll of her eyes, Bleach stood up from her chair up.

Just then, a strong blood lust enter the dining room. Bleach didn't have to turn around to know that it was the creepy jester. Without a second thought, she turned around abruptly and took a step forward to do nothing short of  _sprinting_ away from the dining room. Unfortunately, she wasn't fast enough; Hisoka all but materialized beside her and dropped his left hand on her shoulder, pushing her back on the chair.

"Don't leave so soon. " The jester asked/ordered as he sat in the chair besides hers. "I feel like playing a game." Bleach gulped. Yep, she was about to die. "Of poker." Or maybe not.

"I'm sure Gittarackuru will love to play with you."

"He will. And so will you~. "

"I don't know how to play." Bleach lied. Not only did she know how to play, she knew how to cheat; perfectly so.

"Kata… He'll teach you."

Bleach was on the verge of crying out in exasperation. "Why?"

"Because it's more fun to play against two than one. "

"I don't have a choice, do I?"

"Kata… No…"

* * *

"Royal Straight Flush."

"Kata… For someone who didn't know how to play, you do it professionally so. Kata…" Gittarackuru commented with suspicion, staring at Bleach's winning hand.

Hisoka smiled at his friend. "Beginner's luck~. "

"Most likely." Bleach agreed as she pulled the money on the table to herself. "You know, I actually enjoyed this poker game. What do you say we play one last round?"

"No. Kata… I'm going to sleep." With that, Gittarackuru left the table.

She turned to Hisoka, who smiled that creepy smile of his.

"The cleaning product is getting bold." The jester commented. "I like it. "

"I thought you would." Bleach said as she shuffled the deck. "So, last round?"

"All or nothing~."

* * *

"Fucking cheat." Bleach complained under her breath as she stomped through the corridors with her hands shoved in her hoodie's kangaroo pockets. "He knew I knew how to fucking play and he knew I was cheating. The shithead just waited for the pincushion to leave so he could get all the money to himself. Sleazy motherfucker cheats better than I do. Now it's three past fucking midnight, I didn't get any sleep yet, AND I'm 20.000 jenny poorer."

Just when she thought things couldn't get much worse, Bleach felt a killer intent walking her way. It wasn't frightening as Hisoka's was but the girl was done with dealing with psychopaths for the night so she turned the first left she found and hid herself behind a small bench that was in that corridor to wait for the owner of that dark aura to pass by.

To say that Bleach was surprised to see that the source of the bloodlust was Gon's friend, Killua, would be a lie. The boy was too crafty and untrusting despite his young age; she knew that there was something dark about him.

After Killua was far away enough, Bleach resumed walking to the direction she was going to, and from which he had come from. In the middle of the corridor, there were two heartless corpses on the floor.

"Oh well…" Bleach dismissed as she jumped the bodies. Corpses were a sight she was far used to thanks to her years in Meteor City and with the Mafia. "As long as he fucking controls himself around Gon, I don't give a shit. Talking about Ging's son…. Where the fuck is he anyway?"

* * *

Bleach found the boy inside a large room, trying to catch a ball from the Chairman's hand. Silently, the girl entered the room and sat down by the wall, watching the two of them as if it was some sort of sport playing on TV.

"Ah, Bleach!" Gon called some minutes later, just noticing she was there.

"Hey Gon. The f- What are you trying to accomplish with this? I'm sorry but there's no way that you'll take the ball from the old man's hand."

"I know, but that's not what I'm trying to do." The boy answered with a smile. "Before we land, I'll make him use his right hand. Just watch!"

* * *

Gon's game ended as Bleach thought it would: with the Chairman holding the ball and dry from any sweat, and the boy passed out on the floor. But, to Gon's happiness and Bleach's surprise, he did make Netero use his right hand to dodge a headbutt that the boy tried to deliver him.

For a moment, Bleach considered telling Gon that the old man could've just let him hit his abdomen instead of using his right hand and that the only reason he did that was to keep the boy's skull from being crushed. But, she soon discarded the idea. Needing it or not, the old man used his right hand and that was all that mattered.

"No wonder you're the Chairman, old man." Bleach said as she picked Gon up. "You're fucking strong."

"You seem quite capable yourself. Want to give it a try?" Netero taunted, spinning the ball on his left index finger.

"Ha! As if. I don't play games I can't win. Not anymore, at least."

"A smart decision, but a very boring one."

With a shrug of her shoulders, Bleach walked out of the training room and went to search a spare bedroom, carrying Gon on her back. It was already time they both had some much deserved sleep.

* * *

_On the next day_

"Trick Tower?"

"Yes." The bean answered with a nod. "To pass this Third Phase, you must reach the base of this tower alive. The time limit is 72 hours."

"What? Three days to climb down a fucking tower?" Bleach whined to her party, crossing her arms over her chest. "Why so much time? We'll have to wait down there forever!"

"Indeed, it is weird." Kurapika agreed. "We should be careful; there surely must be some kind of trap."

"With that, we will begin the Third Phase." The bean settled. "I will pray for your success."

* * *

After watching a "top-class rock climber" try to climb down the wall of the tower and get himeself eaten alive by some creepy baby-like bird monsters, Gon's party started to walk around the tower looking for some other way to go down.

"Bleach! Kurapika! Leorio!" Gon called the three, who ran quickly to the boy's side.

"What is it, Gon?" Kurapika asked.

"Look! I found a hidden door." The boy said as he kneeled down and pushed one of the stones on the floor a little to show it was actually some sort of trapdoor.

"So that's how we're supposed to go down, eh?" Bleach stated the obvious with a smirk on her lips. "Sounds easy enough. All we have to do is find these trapdoors and jump down."

To demonstrate – as if it was necessary – the girl jumped slightly.

And fell down through one of the trapdoors.

"AH, FUCK!"

Gon quickly dropped to his knees and tried to push open the door the white-haired dumbass had just fell through. The other three tried to help out as well, but it was of no use.

"Bleach!" Gon called worried, laying his left ear on the floor. "Are you alright?!"

"I'm fu- fine, Gon!" Came the girl's voice. "The distance I fell was small and there's nothing dangerous here! You guys go find some trapdoors to yourselves; we'll meet at the end of this Phase!"

* * *

On the room Bleach fell in, there was a flat-screen TV monitor with the following message:

' _You must follow the patch of the lone wolf._

_Walk through the door and overcome the challenges that will come. You have only yourself to count on for help and to blame if you fail.'_

Bleach rolled her eyes and walked through the door that was beside the monitor.

" _You have only yourself to count on for help and to blame if you fail."_ Bleach spoke in a grave voice. "Pfff! They think some shitty words are going to intimidate me? Bitch, please, I'm better than that."

For a couple of hours, all Bleach had to do was follow the way the corridors led. Sometimes, obstacles and puzzles showed up for her to overcome but, other than that, nothing happened.

Until she came face to face with a door.

* * *

_A few minutes earlier, in the Trick Tower control room._

"Number 1 is getting closer to the arena." A bald man said.

"Then let's release her opponent." Another man, that was sitting in front of a panel and eating biscuits, answered. "I say we choose Red Ros."

"No, Brawling Bronn would make for a more interesting fight."

"Don't be ridiculous, I'm letting Ros out." With that, the sitting man reached out to press a button.

"No. Let Bronn out." The other complained, reaching out to stop him. Soon, they both started to struggle to press the button.

"Let go!"

"I'm releasing Bronn!"

"Wait! Be careful or you'll p-"

_TEC_

"YOU IDIOT! YOU PRESSED THE WRONG BUTTON!"

"Damn! Who did I let loose?"

"Let me see… Oh."

"Oh what?"

"You have to go and fix this now or that girl is as good as dead."

"So what? This is how selection goes."

"There'll be no selecting, you idiot! She doesn't stand a chance against him; he's already a master of Nen!"

"Oh. Did I…?"

"Yes, you let  _him_ out."

* * *

Bleach opened the door, entering a well-illuminated arena. Standing in the middle of it was a tall, dark-skinned man that Bleach remembered very well.

"Never thought I'd see you again, Snowflake." And he remembered her too.

"Noir." The girl said, automatically getting in a defensive stance. "What the fuck are you doing here?"

"This is where I'm incarcerated." The former bodyguard answered.

"What?"

"This place is a prison, Snowflake, and I'm a prisoner. For each hour I hold you here, one year is subtracted from my sentence." Noir explained, removing the brown fabric that was covering his body. "Too bad for you that I don't care about that. All I want right now is murder you."

Now wearing just black, worn-out pants and an equally worn-out white T-shirt, the man straightened his back and raised one of his arms until it was perpendicular to his shoulder; his palm was up. Bleach knew that stance; had seen the man in it many times before he killed his targets or anyone that tried to harm one of the Mafia's members. The girl was quick to activate Gyo and reinforce her Ten as a protective measure.

"Oh, I see you learned a little since we last saw each other." Noir commented, truly surprised. "It'll do you no good though; I'll kill you anyway."

"Why do you want to kill me so fucking much, anyway?"

"You can ask that to Nair when I send you to the other world." That said, Noir attacked.

The man was very quick, jumping towards Bleach and trying to spear her with his arm repeatedly, using Ren to strengthen his hits. Luckily, the girl, she was faster, so she managed to dodge his blows.

"Hmm, not bad." Noir complimented. "But not good enough." Then, something materialized around the man's hand.

It was a metal gauntlet, with very long, claw-shaped fingers that pierced all the way through Bleach's chest, despite the girl's reinforced Ten.

The girl's eyes widened and she felt blood rise in her throat. "S-Son of a…"

Noir harshly removed his hand and the girl fell down. Soon, there was a large puddle of blood beneath her. Bleach felt an acid smirk stretch across her lips as she allowed her eyelids to drop.

_That's fucking it, uh? Dying in a puddle of blood in a lost room in a prison that's lost in the middle of fucking nowhere. What a shitty death. But I guess it fits my crappy life well enough. I wonder… Will that shithead Ging even know that I died? That I died trying to fucking find him? Probably not. Even if he does find out, I doubt he'll even care. The asshole._

_**Stop lamenting yourself, you big baby.** _

Bleach looked around. She, or, more accurately, her mind was in a dark place, surrounded by indigo colored pounds and waterfalls. From the pounds that was right in front of her a midget woman emerged. Her head was far too big for her body, her skin was light grey and covered by dark indigo patterns. Her choppy hair was of the same dark indigo and her impossibly large eyes were of a brighter tone of the colour.

… _What the fuck?_

 _ **You're getting out of here alive, you hear me, dumbass. I'll make sure of it.**_ The midget spoke.

_You're… that voice from many years ago. You came back._

_**I didn't come back, idiot! I was always there, screaming in your head; you just never listened. Who would've guessed that it would take you a near-death experience to hear me again? A friend in need is a friend indeed.** _

_Who's whining now, asshole?_

_**Do you want to live or not?** _

…

_**You've got to be kidding me!** _

_Excuse me if I don't see a fucking reason to keep living anymore. It's not like my life was a sweet ride until now._

_**You big baby! You got out of Meteor City, ran away from the Mafia, overcame your alcoholism, made friends, is close to pass the Hunter Exam and still complain?! You know what? You don't get to decide if you live or die, I'll do it for you and guess what? You live! Now, imagine yourself healthy!** _

The midget's tone was so imperative that Bleach couldn't help but obey.

So, as Noir walked away from Bleach's body, the girl's necklace started to shine slightly, making her wounds heal almost immediately, leaving nothing but some circular scars in her chest.

Bleach raised her head to look at the man walking away from her and, for a moment, the world she saw as made of shades of indigo. Unknown to her, her eyes had changed to the same color.

Since the former bodyguard had his back to the girl, he didn't notice that she was able to heal herself and was now back on her feet. Bleach saw an opportunity and took it.

Without making a sound, the girl enhanced her left hand with Ren and ran towards Noir. The man didn't hear or sense a thing, he just felt the girl's hand pierce his lower back and the reach up until it encircled his heart.

"H-How?"

"I'm just that awesome." Bleach answered, tightening her grip around the muscular organ. "Now die, motherfucker."

With that, Bleach crushed Noir's heart in her hand and allowed the man's body to fall on the floor.

For some minutes, Bleach just stood there, staring at Noir's body with glazed eyes. It was the second time she had killed a person.

"I don't get how you did it so easily." Bleach whispered, cleaning her hand on the front of her hoodie. "Killing, I mean. It's… sickening."

Then, she took her blood-soaked hoodie off and threw it on the floor. Now, her upper body was covered only by a black tank top, which was damp from her own blood and had four little holes on the middle of chest area, where the long fingers of Noir's Nen gauntlet had pierced her. For the first time in her life, Bleach showed to the world the indigo crown pendant she wore around her neck instead of hiding it beneath her clothes.

Bleach took a few steps away from the corpse and towards the exit, but one last glance at the body made her turn back and kneel besides him.

"Goodbye, Noir." The girl said as she slid Noir's eyelids shut. "Send my regards to Nair."

* * *

_**You're soft…** _

_Crap. Please, don't tell me that I'll have to put up with your annoying voice all the time._

**_You spent the last fifteen years wondering about me and my voice, so son't complain, dumbass. And no, you'll just have to 'put up' with me all the time. You won't be able to hear me unless you're thinking about me, like now._ **

_Ah! Good. Anyway, where the fuck did that 'you're soft' crap come from?_

_**You dislike killing. That's weird. The rest of the Family never minded it.** _

_I don't know where the fuck did you come from, but, in the human world, we consider killing something bad._

_**I come from the same place as you, dumbass.** _

_So, I come from an ugly as fuck indigo necklace?_

_**You know what I mean, smartass.** _

_Yeah, yeah. Where the fuck did we come from anyway?_

_**A palace, in a cold and isolated region. I don't know how to locate it exactly, though. I never wandered beyond the palace's walls in your human world.** _

_Now, that's fucking helpful._

_**Well, you're the one that doesn't even remember your own family, dumbass!** _

_I have no family._

_**You do! I told you; you're the chosen one of the Castere family! You're Arysa Castere.** _

_Chosen one, Castere, Arysa… These titles don't mean shit to me. Your 'Family' is fucking dead and Arysa is no more. My name is Bleach; I have no last name and I'm from Meteor City._

_**Then why did you ask, idiot?** _

_No reason, really._

_**You're so insufferable.** _

_Right back at ya, Ointment._

_**My name isn't Ointment. Just because you are named after a product doesn't mean I am too, dumbass.** _

_What's your fucking name, then?_

_**I'm Namid, the Guardian of Cure.** _

* * *

"Bleach, applicant Number 1, is the fourth to pass. Total time: 17 hours and 40 minutes."

A voice spoke as the white haired girl walked into a circular room. She wasn't surprised to see that Hisoka and Gittarackuru had finished the test already. What did surprise her was to see that she had lost to that shinobi with the girly eyebrows, Hanzo.

"No fucking way…" Bleach complained under her breath, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring at the bald man. "Now, that's a blow to the ego."

With that, Bleach made her way to the wall that was furthest away from the creepy duo, sat down and closed her eyes, determined to get some sleep until Gon and the others arrived.

* * *

Nothing. There were two minutes left for the end of the Third Phase and still no sign of Gon and the others.

"Really, what's taking them so fucking long?" Bleach complained as she paced from one side to the other.

Bleach was annoyed. Annoyed that Gon wasn't there yet. She'd need him to pass the Hunter Exam to help her find Ging's for fuck's sake!

But that wasn't all…

The girl would never admit it to anyone, especially herself, but she was worried that those four wouldn't pass. She liked Gon; he was adorable and reminded her too much of Ging for her not to. Kurapika, Leorio and Killua... well, she didn't like them much, but she had spent the better part of her Hunter Exam with them so far and, though Bleach knew herself to be very selfish, she still hoped they all would pass the Exam. But the thing that was annoying Bleach the most: since when did she fucking care about others?!

The sound of one of the stone doors rising open made Bleach halt her pacing immediately and turn her gaze to it. Three figures walked through the door.

"Kurapika, applicant Number 404, is the 21st to pass. Killua, applicant Number 99, is the 22nd to pass. Gon, applicant Numer 405, is the 23rd to pass. Total time: 71 hours and 59 minutes."

"Gon!" Bleach called as she ran to the smiling boy. "What the fuck took you so long?"

"Mito-san says cursing is bad, Bleach." He scolded, pouting at the girl.

"Yeah, yeah. And where's the old man?"

As soon as those words left Bleach's lips, the interphone voice spoke again as two figures walked towards them.

"Leorio, applicant Number 403 is the 24th to pass. Tonpa, applicant Number 16 is the 25th to pass. Total time: 71 hours and 59 minutes."

Bleach deadpanned. "What the fuck was Tonpa doing with you?"

"Bleach! Mito-san says-"

"No cursing, I know."

* * *

For the Fourth Phase, each participant had to take a sealed plate from a box.

"Everyone has taken a card?" The purple-haired Examiner, Lippo, asked. "Then, you may remove the seal from your card."

Bleach did so, and the card revealed a number to her. 332.

Bleach's eyes made a beeline to the man that held the tag with the number. Her gaze locked on the man for less than a second before she moved it away, though. However, just because Bleach wasn't looking directly at Number 332, it didn't mean that she wasn't watching his every move. If the game was that of cat and mouse, as the examiner said, Bleach was sure that her play would involve that man. The question was, would he be her mouse or her his?

The examiner smiled slightly. "The card indicates your target."

Bleach watched with amusement as her target removed the ID card pinned to his chest and hid it on the inside of his pants, on the area of his left hip bone.

"This box recorded which card each one of you drew. This means that you're free to dispose of the card if you wish." The purple haired examiner continued to explain. "Now, the objective of the Fourth Phase is to steal your target's ID card."

Bleach didn't even try to keep the huge grin from stretching across her face at hearing that. A test of stealing and stealth. Really, this Fourth Phase couldn't be more Bleach-friendly if she had designed it herself.

* * *

After the examiner had finished explaining the last details about the Fourth Phase, all of the participants boarded a little wooden boat that would take them to the phase's site, Zevil Island.

In the boat, a girl tried to reassure everyone that, if they failed this Hunter Exam, they'd be automatically qualified to next year's Exam. Too bad for her that everyone was so tense that they had barely listened to her. After the girl was done talking, everyone stood up to walk around the ship.

Bleach decided to wander around on her own, never allowing Number 332 to disappear from her sight.

A couple of minutes before reaching Zevil Island. Bleach watched as number 332 was about to go down some stairs and started to walk towards him, tossing her card in the air and catching it repeatedly. By the time Bleach reached the stairs, the man had finished climbing them down; it was the perfect opportunity.

"Oh, crap!" Bleach complained loudly when she "accidentally" threw her card with more strength than necessary.

Number 332 turned around to see a desperate-looking white-haired girl leap from the top of the stairs to retrieve her ID card that was flying in the air. She fell down directly on top of him.

"O-Ouch…" Number 332 complained from beneath Bleach.

"I-I'm sorry!" The white-haired girl said, staring down at the man with big, kicked-puppy eyes. "It was an accident. I'm really sorry! D-Did I hurt you?"

Noticing the girl was still on top of him, in a straddling position no less, the man felt a blush spread across his cheeks.

"D-D-Don't worry! I-It was nothing!"

Then, Bleach gave the man a smile that would melt anyone's heart.

"I'm so glad to hear it! You know, I'd never forgive myself if I had hurt such a handsome man."

Then, a voice in the interphone announced that they were about to anchor at Zevil Island.

"Oh, it seems we must go now…" Bleach spoke in a disappointed voice, before giving the man beneath her a shy smile. "I hope we see each other on the next phase, as well."

With that, Bleach jumped up and ran to the boat's exit, leaving a stunned and nose-bleeding ex-Number 332 staring after her, clueless to the fact that the girl had just taken his ID card with her.

And both of them were clueless to the fact that Gittarackuru's eyes watched every second and movement of Bleach's little stunt.

Poor Number 332… lost the Fourth Phase before it had even began.

* * *

Bleach wasted no time. As soon as she got off the ship, she started running in search of a nice hiding spot. She had her six points already, but there would still be someone chasing her and she didn't knew if she was strong enough to defeat her cat. Also, Number 332 wouldn't be clueless forever about the girl taking his plate from him so he'd, undoubtedly, go after her.

It wasn't long before found her ideal hiding spot: a very high tree with branches full of wide, green leaves. Bleach didn't think twice before climbing the tree and hiding among its thick foliage.

All she had to do now was wait for the week to pass by.

"Fuck, that's going to be boring. I wonder who Gon is hunting…"

* * *

The week passed by and, though extremely bored and curious about Gon's situation, Bleach remained safe on her spot. Only a few minutes before the deadline, did she leave the safety of her hiding place to go to the starting point.

As always, Gon wasn't there yet.

"God fucking damn it! Does the boy take pleasure in arriving at the last second or something?" Bleach complained to Killua, arms crossed over her chest. Really, since when did she worry so much about someone? Oh, right; since it was Ging's son we're talking about.

"Bleach!" Gon's scolding voice came from behind. "Mito-san says-"

Bleach grinned at the boy from over her shoulder. "No cursing, I know."

"Gon!" Killua called, giving him a thumbs-up. Gon reciprocated the gesture.

"So!" The girl from the boat, who was checking everyone's tags, began. "These ten applicants have passed the Fourth Phase of the Hunter Exam!"


	7. Hunter Exam: The Last Phase

_"So!" The girl from the boat, who was checking everyone's tags, began. "These ten applicants have passed the Fourth Phase of the Hunter Exam!"_

* * *

Once again, the participants of the Exam were inside Netero's zeppelin, waiting for something to happen.

Gon, alongside Bleach, Leorio and Kurapika, was standing in front one of the many windows as he told the girl all they had done during the Fourth Phase.

Bleach wasn't happy.

"Are you f- stupid?! You actually went after HISOKA?! That's practically attempting suicide, Gon! Why didn't you get another three cards?" Bleach scolded the boy. "And letting yourself get bitten by snakes only to find an antidote that COULD'VE been there wasn't the smartest decision either! You too, old man! You don't just walk in a fu- cave! It's a trap! Just walking in anywhere is _always_ a trap. Don't you watch movies?! God fu- damnit!"

Kurapika couldn't help but smile a little. The girl did care.

After Bleach's uncharacteristic show of concern, the group settled in a comfortable silence as they watched the scenery pass by through the window.

"Pathetic…" Leorio said suddenly. "I needed you two to do everything to me during the Fourth Phase. I promise I'll return the favor. So… thanks."

"How cute. The old man's getting sentimental." Bleach mocked with a smirk.

Leorio glared and pointed a girl at her. "NO ONE ASKED YOU!"

" **I have an announcement for all applicants."** Bean's voice came from the loudspeakers.  **"The chairman wishes to interview the remaining candidates. When your number is called, please come to the first reception room, on the second floor. Then, we'll start with Number 44, Hisoka-sama."**

* * *

"Why do you want to become a Hunter?" Netero asked Bleach.

"I wasn't particularly interested in becoming a Hunter when I entered this fucking exam. I just thought that I'd find a clue here to find a certain shithead I'm looking for. But, I must say that the money the Hunter's license will allow me to have is a nice perk."

"I see. Which of the other 9 applicants are you keeping an eye on?"

"Gon, Number 405."

"Which of the 9 other applicants would least want to fight?"

"The fucking creeps: Hisoka, Number 44, and Gittarackuru, number 301."

"And who would you  _like_ to fight?"

"That'd be Leorio, number 403. Or that brat with the pink thingy on his head, number 53."

"Really?" Clearly, that was an answer Netero didn't expect. "Why's that?"

Bleach shrugged. "They seem to be the weakest."

* * *

The last 10 applicants of the Hunter Exam were taken to a large arena, inside of a luxurious hotel for the Final Phase of the Hunter Exam.

"For the Final Phase, we'll be holding a one-on-one tournament." Netero explained as he pulled a sheet from the board that held the bracket for the fights.

Bleach's jaw dropped. "What the fu- hell? This bracket is completely bizarre!"

"Pretty impressive, no?" The Chairman asked.

"Bizarre and impressive don't mean the same thing, old man."

* * *

The first fight was between Gon and Hanzo.

Bleach watched with wide eyes as the shinobi with the girly eyebrows easily dodged from Gon's quick leap and delivered a painful blow on the boy's neck. The shinobi then procceded to beat the crap out of the boy.

Bleach's eyes widened even more as Gon refused to give up and just took all the blows Hanzo delivered.

The beating came to a point that Kurapika and Leorio almost barged in the fight. It was easy to see that both were extremely worried, but Bleach managed to keep them from interfering.

"If you do anything, Gon loses, you fucking idiots!"

Then, Hanzo broke Gon's left arm. Bleach wasn't so sure she'd be able to stop those two without a fight. Hell, she wasn't sure  _she_  wouldn't walk into the arena and put and end to that shit herself.

"Control yourselves!"

"Don't try to stop us, Bleach." Leorio said somberly.

"I know you two are fucking pissed - believe me, I am too - but you can't interfere! If you do that, all of Gon's efforts in that fucking fight won't mean shit, you hear me? Get a grip and sit down! Hanzo isn't going to kill Gon!" Then, Bleach's voice got louder. "As a matter of fact, I bet anyone 20.000 jenny that Gon is going to win that fucking fight!"

Pokkle, Gitarackuru, Menchi and Lippo took that bet.

At the end of the fight, Bleach was 80.000 jenny richer. Or, you know, less poor.

* * *

The second fight was between Hanzo and Bleach. Before entering the arena, the girl concentrated herself so she could talk to Namid.

_Hey, Namid, can you do that instantaneous healing shit again?_

_**Only if you stop cursing.** _

_Not you too…_

_**It's my condition.** _

_Fine._

_**Alright, then. Just imagine yourself healed that I'll take care of the rest. But, know that my healing powers have a limit, so try not to get near-death two times in a row, alright, dumbass?** _

_Deal. I'll only need it one time, anyway._

Bleach knew that Hanzo was strong; she knew that, if Ging hadn't taught her Nen, she'd most likely lose to the shinobi. But, thing is, she did have a grasp on the basic of Nen so, even if she wasn't physically strong enough to defeat Hanzo, she could easily use Ten to protect herself from any damage, and Ren to beat the living shit out of the shinobi.

The problem would be if the man decided to be as stubborn as Gon and not give up, in hopes of dealing a hit strong enough to make some damage.

But, if the damage simply disappeared… Well, that'd surely crush Hanzo's hopes of winning.

So, when the fight began, Bleach didn't move; she just watched Hanzo run towards her with his blade ready to strike. The blade hit her shoulder, cutting it rather deeply, but the girl didn't as much as flinch; instead, she gave the shinobi a grin that could rival Hisoka's in the matter of creepiness.

Wary and confused, Hanzo jumped back. The shinobi had barely set his feet on the floor again and Bleach's wound was already healing. Everyone's eyes widened at the display. Everyone's but Lippo's, who had watched the girl's healing ability during her fight in Trick Tower.

"How is that possible?!" Hanzo demanded, pointing an accusing finger at his opponent.

"I'm just that awesome." Bleach answered with a shrug. "Now, care to try again? And again, and again, and again…? You can have as many goes as you want; I have all fucking day."

_Please, say no. That cut hurt as fuck!_

With a sigh, Hanzo sheathed his blade and shook his hand. "There'd be no point. Unlike Number 405, I know when I can't win." Then, the shinobi turned his head to the judge. "I forfeit."

_Score!_

* * *

The third match was between Hisoka and Kurapika.

"Believe it or not; I'll miss you, Kurapika." Bleach spoke. "By the way, may I keep those fucking sticks you carry around? They're quite pretty for a weapon."

"Shut up, dumbass!" Leorio scolded before turning to Kurapika with a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, you'll be fine."

And, surprisingly, he was. Hisoka just roughed Kurapika up a little bit, whispered something in his ear and forfeited.

* * *

Hanzo and Pokkle fought the fourth round. To Kurapika and Leorio's disappointment and Bleach's annoyance, Hanzo won.

* * *

In the fifth match, Hisoka beat the old geezer, Bodoro, quite easily.

* * *

Killua was put against Pokkle for the sixth match and gave up almost immediately.

Bleach didn't like it.

"What the fuck is wrong with you, brat?! That match was practically handed to you in a silver plate!"

Pokkle didn't like hearing that. "Hey!"

"Oh, shut up! You know it's true!" Bleach snapped before turning back to scold Killua. "So? What the fuck do you have to say about that?"

"I'm not interested in fighting him." Killua answered uninterested.

"What? You honestly think you'll win the next fight?" The white-haired girl demanded, pointing to Gittarackuru. "You're going to face that creep, you shithead!"

Killua smirked. "Why so worried?"

"I'm not! I'm just annoyed as fuck at how dumb and inconsequential you are! And at your snobby, stuck-up attitude!"

"Whatever you say, softy."

* * *

The seventh fight was between Gittarackuru and Killua.

"Don't worry, Bleach." Kurapika reassured. "Killua is strong; he'll be fine."

"Che! I'm not worried." Bleach denied, crossing her arms over her chest as she watched Killua walk towards the creepy pincushion with narrowed yes. "As a matter of fact, I think that a nice beating is going to do that brat some fucking good. It's time for him to get off his high horse."

Both opponents were facing each other.

"Hajime!"

The match began.

"It has been a long time, Killu." Gittarackuru spoke as he started to remove the needles from his head and neck.

Bleach watched with wide eyes as the man's hair turned black and longer – and so fucking silky! - and as his face started to contort and distort, transforming itself in something much softer and prettier. That man… everything about him, from his silky, long hair, to his delicate features, to his big and black eyes… It was all so…

"So fucking androgynous…" Bleach breathed out before turning to Hisoka. "You're friends with Gittarackuru. Is… eh…  _it_  a very feminine man or an extremely manly woman?"

"We're really not that close, but, as far as I know, he is a he~." Hisoka answered. "And I guess I can tell you now, Soap-"

"Bleach."

"-his name isn't Gittarackuru."

"What the fuck?"

"Shh. Just watch."

Bleach turned her gaze back to Killua and Gitta- the man. The boy's eyes were wide in a mix of shock and fear as just one word passed through his lips.

"Aniki."

Blech's eyes widened even more as they darted from Killua to his brother and back repeatedly. There was no fucking way they were brothers; they were nothing alike!

"Killua's brother?" Leorio asked in shock to no one in particular.

"I guess being a pain in the ass runs in the family." Bleach commented, trying to hide her own surprise.

"I heard that you cut Mom and Milluki." Git- Killua's brother commented in a voice much softer than before, but just as emotionless. "Mom was crying."

"Anyone would cry if their son did that to them!" Leorio spoke.

"Tears of joy."

Leorio fell face down on the floor. Kurapika and Bleach had to hold themselves not to do the same. Apparently, craziness ran in the family as well.

"She was so happy to see how much you had grown. But she was worried about you leaving home, so she asked me to check up on you." Killua's brother commented. "What a coincidence. I didn't know you wanted to be a Hunter. I'm trying to get a license for my next job."

"In truth…" Killua began. "I don't really want to be a Hunter. I just felt like taking the exam."

"I see… That's a relief." Then, a dark aura started to envelope Killua's brother's body. An aura that made Nair's face spring to Bleach's mind.

"That man is dangerous. Killua better give up. Fast." The white-haired girl spoke to no one in particular, narrowing her eyes at Killua's brother as he resumed talking.

"Then I have some advice for you. You're not cut out to be a Hunter; you were born to be a killer. You are a puppet of darkness, with no passion. You don't want anything or wish for anything. As one who lives in the shadows, you can only feel pleasure when people die. That's how Dad and I raised you."

Bleach wasn't angry. Oh no, Bleach was seething. Not because she was protective of Killua - she wasnt, alright! she wasn't! - but because his brother reminded her too much of her time with the Mafia, when she had to do whatever she was told to do, and always with Nair or Noir breathing down her neck to make sure she did her job right.

Besides the examiners, only Hisoka and Kurapika noticed how the white-haired girl clenched her jaw and fists in barely suppressed anger. No doubt, if she had any delusions about being as strong as Killua's brother, she'd be punching the living shit out of him already, but, unfortunately for the jester, Bleach knew better and kept herself still, watching the exchange between the brothers with narrowed eyes.

That is, until Leorio interrupted with his loud voice, as usual.

"Killua! I don't give a damn if he's your brother, he's a worthless piece of crap! Don't listen to him! Just beat the crap out of him as usual and win! You want to become friends with Gon? You idiot! You already are friend! I'm sure that's how Gon feels!"

If looks could kill, Bleach would've murdered Leorio ten times over.

"The only idiot here is you, old man!" The girl spat out, pulling Leorio down harshly by the front of his shirt. "Are you fucking trying to get Gon in danger? Because what you just did was wiggle him in front of that creep's eyes with a nice fucking ribbon and a note that says  _Hey, I'm the reason your baby brother won't come home! Feel like killing me, yet?_ "

"Calm down!" Kurapika scolded, pushing Bleach and Leorio apart. "Gon isn't the only one in danger, Bleach. Right now, Killua is the one that needs our help the most."

"I fucking know that!" Bleach snapped before crossing her arms over her chest and turning her head to the side. "But Ging's son comes first. Always. And, now, that creep's going to want to murder him!"

"Okay! I'll kill Gon." Killua's brother settled, as if he had just had an epiphany.

"I fucking told you so!" Bleach yelled but everyone was so surprised by Killua's brother's words that no one paid attention to her.

"A killer doesn't need any friends. They'll only slow you down." The man resumed speaking with that dark aura around him as he turned to walk towards the door. "Where is Gon?"

"P-Please, wait." The judge pleaded, but all Killua's brother did was to throw some needles on his face and repeat the question.

"Where is Gon?"

To Bleach's shock, the judge's face distorted and he actually answered the pin cushion's question. To Bleach's even greater shock, Kurapika, Leorio and Hanzo ran to the door and blocked it.

"H-Hey, wait for me, you shitheads!"

* * *

In the end, Killua gave up. But not before his brother had managed to break him.

"Killua." Bleach called, walking to the boy, but never turning her glaring eyes from his brother. "Don't worry, kid, you'll get away from that shitty brother someday. I managed to run from worse."

Killua didn't react.

Noticing that, no matter what she said, she wouldn't be able to get Killua out of his trance, Bleach walked away from the boy, leaving the fruitless task of consoling him up to Kurapika and Leorio.

"What's your fucking name, anyway?" Bleach demanded of Killua's brother as she walked up to him.

"Mine?" The man echoed, pointing at himself with a stupid expression on his face that made Bleach want to punch him. Repeatedly. "Well, since you and I have some common acquaintances, I guess it is only polite for me to introduce myself properly. My name is Illumi Zoldyck and I'm Killua's eldest brother."

"Good, now I know what to write on your fucking grave when Killua murders you."

"Oh? And what should I write on yours when Killu gets through with you? Since, you know, Bleach isn't a real name."

Bleach's eyebrow twitched at the last comment but, other than that, she ignored it. "That's not going to happen, shithead."

"And why do you think that?"

"Because the brat is better than that." Then, though still glaring pitchforks at Illumi, Bleach gave him an acid smirk. "Also, you taught him not to pick fights he can't win."

"Hehehe~! Soap is getting bolder and bolder. " Hisoka cut in before Illumi could answer, laying his forearm on the white-haired girl's head and using it as support for his weight.

"It's Bleach! God fucking damn it."

* * *

The seventh fight was supposed to be between Leorio and Bodoro.

Supposed to, because, before it had even began, Killua materialized behind Bodoro and shoved his hand through his chest, taking his heart out.

Kurapika, Leorio and Bleach watched everything with wide eyes, not quite believing in what had just happened. Well, maybe Killua wasn't better than that after all; maybe Bleach should start sleeping with an eye open.

"Well, the brat snapped." The white-haired girl stated in an inadequate light tone, crossing her arms over her chest as she watched Killua storm off the room.

"No." Kurapika spoke from besides her. "I think his brother is the responsible."

"What? How could he-" Then, the image of the judge telling Illumi where Gon was popped in Bleach's mind. Indeed, Illumi could control people at his will. "But he didn't throw those fucking needles at Killua."

"Maybe he doesn't need needles to control people; maybe they're just a way to enhance his power."

"Che, that's just… Actually, that makes a lot of sense. Crap! Why didn't I think of it before?"

"Honestly, don't you care at all for Killua?" The blonde snapped, glaring at the girl. "How can you behave so lightly after all of this?"

"What's the fucking point in worrying about the brat?" Bleach asked. "There isn't shit I can do about it now. But, when Gon wakes up, I'm sure he'll want to go after the shithead and, until I find Ging, I'm following Gon."

"Now, that's just…"

"Just what?"

"Just nothing. Your words actually make sense."

* * *

Said and done. As soon as Gon woke up in the infirmary and heard from Satotsu what had happened, he stomped towards the classroom in which the rest of the just approved Hunters were.

From her place besides Kurapika, Bleach watched with curious eyes as the boy marched towards Illumi.

"Apologize to Killua." Gon demanded, standing by the sitting man.

"Apologize? For what?" Illumi asked and Bleach groaned. Of course, Illumi would play dumb; and he was annoyingly good at it.

"You don't know what you did wrong?" Gon asked.

"No." That word was spoken in such an uncaring way… it angered Gon. A lot.

"You don't have the right to be his brother."

Illumi turned his emotionless eyes away from Gon. "Must I earn the right to be his older brother?"

That was it. Gon grabbed Illumi's forearm and pulled the man from his place roughly. Really, Ging's son was very strong; he managed to raise Illumi in the air with just one arm without even using Nen.

"He doesn't need to earn the right to be my friend, either!" Then, Gon tightened his grip on Illumi's arm so much it broke the bone.

"No fucking way…" Bleach breathed out, amazed at the boy's sheer strength.

"Don't bother apologizing." Gon stated, now in a much calmer voice and stance. "Just take me to see Killua."

"And what will you do?" Illumi asked in that uncaring voice of his, as if he didn't just have his right forearm broken.

"That's obvious. I'm going to rescue him!"

* * *

After much discussion in the room, everyone agreed that Illumi had indeed manipulated Killua in killing Bodoro and returning home but that didn't matter to the Hunter Exam. So, it was settled that everyone in that room would receive their Hunter's license.

After that, they were free to go.

"The perks of this piece o- license are incredible!" Bleach spoke with awe as she observed her card.

"Indeed, they'll be quite useful." Kurapika agreed.

"Like, to find out where Killua's family lives, no?" Beach suggested, giving Gon a meaningful smirk.

"Huh? You're coming too, Bleach?"

"Gon, I won't stop nagging you until we find that sh- Ging." She answered, crossing her arms behind her head. "Also, I don't think I'm the only one that'll tag along on this little quest. Blondie and the old man seem awfully excited about it."

Then, Gon's bright eyes turned to Kurapika and Leorio, who were just behind him and Bleach.

Leorio stopped glaring at Bleach for a second to give Gon a reassuring smile. "You bet."

Kurapika just smiled softly and nodded.

With that settled, the four of them made their way to Illumi, to demand Killua's whereabouts from him.

"Gittarackuru." Gon called, getting the pin cushion to turn around and face him. "Tell me where Killua is."

"Are you really going to take him away?" The man asked back, bored.

"Are you really going to beat around the bush?" Bleach retorted, annoyed.

"I think that's a bad idea." Illumi continued, completely ignoring Bleach's words.

"I don't care what you think!" Gon yelled. "Killua is my friend. I'm definitely taking him with me."

"Do they feel the same way?" Illumi asked, refereeing to Kurapika, Leorio and Bleach.

"Of course not. We're just standing here and losing time because we really like hearing your robotic voice." Bleach answered in a sickening sweet voice with a soft smile on her face, before narrowing her eyes and raising her voice exasperatedly. "Of course we feel the same way, shi- dumbass!"

Illumi stared at the girl's narrowed eyes for a few seconds before turning his gaze back to Gon. Bleach had to hold back a sigh of relief at that. It was disturbing to look directly into Illumi's eyes for too long; it was as if they sucked your hopes and dreams out of you.

"Fine." Killua's brother agreed at last. "I doubt you'll make it there anyway. Killua went home, to Kukuroo Mountain. Our family lives at the very top."

"Understood. Thank you." Gon spoke.

Bleach couldn't help but face-palm. "Gon... You don't thank jackasses like Illumi."

* * *

"I can't fucking believe it…" Bleach grumbled to herself before raising her voice. "WHY ARE WE RUNNING TO THE AIRPORT WHEN WE COULD JUST SIT BACK AND RELAX IN THE TAXI?!"

Leorio grumbled in agreement to the girl.

"Don't complain, Bleach." Kurapika spoke amusedly. "We've ran much more not even two weeks ago, in the First Phase."

"I guess you're right." Leorio agreed with the blond. "This is nothing compared to the Hunter Exam."

"But that's exactly why I want to sit back in the taxi! I think I deserve some rest after all we went trough in that exam!"

"But the traffic is too intense to just  _sit back in the taxi_ ; we'd lose our flight to Padokea."

"We could get the next one!"

"Ne, Bleach!" Gon called with a big smile, slowing down so he was running besides the girl. "The sooner we get in the plane, the sooner we'll see Killua!"

Bleach deadpanned. "I'm so thrilled."

"Me too!"

"Gon, on our airship ride, I'm teaching you about sarcasm."

"Alright!" The boy agreed innocently, grabbing Bleach's hand and pulling her to run faster with him. "Let's go, then! YAHOO!"


	8. The Zoldyck Family: Getting In

Bleach was playing with the sleeves of her new, skin-tight, black turtleneck. She, alongside Gon, Kurapika and Leorio, was riding the bus to Kukuroo Mountain.

Three days ago, as soon as the four of them got into the airship to fly to Padokea, the first thing Bleach did was to replace her tore up tank top for the turtleneck. Also, since the turtleneck didn't have deep pockets like her hoodie did, she bought a black backpack. The girl liked having a place to store things; things that didn't necessarily belong to her, like that an man's Rolex wristwatch and the money inside a lady's Louis Vuitton purse.

Padokea seemed to be a nice country to live in, Bleach decided as she watched the scenery pass her by. The small town where they took the bus was clean, organized and full of kind people, the road they were on now was very nice and smooth and the view around was simply beautiful: green hills and valleys as far as the eye could see. Killua could've had a great time growing up in a place like that, had it not been for… you know, the family of crazy assassins that forced him to kill people.

"Thank you for taking the Lamentation Tour today!" The bus' guide began in a cheerful voice as if she was talking about the Tour of Rainbows and Bunnies. "We will be visiting Kukuroo Mountain, home to the famous Zoldyck family of assassins."

Bleach frowned. So, the Government knew that assassins lived on one of their mountains and, instead of doing something about it, they turned them into the place's main touristic attraction?

Suddenly, living in Padokea didn't seem so nice anymore…

* * *

The bus dropped Gon's party and the rest of the tourists at the front gate of the Zoldyck estate. And, it was massive!

"This gate is also known as the Doors to Hades, because no one who has entered never returned alive!" The guide spoke in that cheerful voice of hers - not at all appropriated when talking about many people's deaths. Then, she motioned to normal-sized wooden double doors that were on the lower corner of the gates, by a small cabin. "To enter the place, you must pass through the doors besides the security checkpoint. But, since the area behind the gates is private property, we can't proceed!"

"WHAT?!" Leorio and Bleach exclaimed in indignation, and the man proceeded. "But the mountain is all the way over there!"

"Correct, the Zoldyck own the whole Kukuroo Mountain as well as the surrounding area." The guide explained.

Bleach whistled. "Man, Killua's family is loaded."

"Hey, guide…" Gon called. "What do we have to do to get inside?"

"Little boy, weren't you listening to me? If you get inside, you won't leave the place alive!"

"It's a sham." A rough-looking fat man, accompanied by a skinny rough-looking man, spoke as he walked to the wooden double doors.

Bleach raised an eyebrow at those two men, who were obviously going to break in the Zoldyck estate and get themselves killed. Their idea would be good though – for her, that is; their stupidity would give her and the others some idea of what they would face in there.

* * *

After those two assaulted the security guard, stormed though the wooden doors and got themselves killed, as predicted, a hand, enormous and hairy, threw their skeletons out of the gate. As any person with an ounce of common sense would do in such a situation, the tourists scurried to the bus in fear and left the place.

But, since Gon's party was composed by people with no common sense whatsoever, it stayed to talk with the guard and explain why they were there.

"So, you're friends of Master Killua." The guard stated as he served everyone green tea. "I'm happy to hear that. I've worked here for twenty years, but this is the first time any friends have come to visit. Since I work here, I shouldn't say this, but his place is rather lonely. No one ever visits."

"I wonder why." Bleach commented with a sarcastic smirk, earning herself a glare from Kurapika and an elbow jab on the ribs from Leorio. "Ouch! Asshole."

"But we do get a lot of those." The guard continued, pointing to the two thugs' skeletons that were inside a large trashcan behind him. "Well, a family of assassins is pretty unusual so I suppose it's the price they have to pay…

Bleach rolled her eyes. "Poor assassins. Life must be so hard on them..."

Leorio jabbed her again, glaring at her.

"Do that again and I'm going to jab your nose into your skull." Bleach threatened, returning the glare.

"Anyway, I'm glad you're here." The guard concluded. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it." Leorio reassured, morphing his angry expression into a good-naturedly smile.

"However, I can't let you enter." The guard said, surprising everyone. "You saw it, didn't you? That enormous paw that threw the bandits out. That belonged to Mike, the guard dog of the Zoldycks."

"Guard  _dog_?" Bleach echoed, raising a skeptical eyebrow. "It's more like a guard titan."

"Yes, and it obeys only the orders of the Zoldycks. For ten years, it has loyally obeyed the orders of its masters, which can be resumed in killing intruders." The guard explained. "I can't let you enter."

The wheels turned in Kurapika's head. "Tell me, Guardian-san, why are you unharmed? You can enter, can't you? Otherwise, why would you have the key?"

"Good remark." The guardian sipped his tea. "But, you're only half-right. To enter, I don't use that key; that key is only for intruders."

Bleach furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. A key for intruders? That didn't make sense. Unless they wanted the thugs to enter the mountain area and get themselves killed by Mike; in which case, Killua's family was even more sadistic than she anticipated.

Then, the guardian explained that his job wasn't to guard the entrance, but clean up Mike's mess.

"On the real door there is no lock!" Kurapika concluded at the end of the guardian's explanation.

Bleach rolled her eyes. "Don't be ridic-"

"Exactly." The guardian confirmed.

"…" Bleach glared at the blonde. "I hate how you're always right."

* * *

"ARGH! I pull! I push! To the left! To the right! It doesn't open!" Leorio complained loudly, as he still tried to open the gates.

"That's only because you're weak." The guardian explained simply as he removed his coat and walked towards the gates. "This gate's nicknames are Doors of Verification and Testing Gate. The ones that can't open it don't have the required qualities to enter into the Zoldycks' domain."

Bleach's eyes widened as she felt the guardian's aura spike and she quickly activated Gyo. Sure enough, the guardian was using Ren to increase his upper body's strength, what allowed him to open the gates that Leorio couldn't even bulge. Then, he let go of said gates and them closed almost immediately.

"As you can see, the gates close automatically. Once they're open, you have to enter without pausing." The guardian spoke as put his coat back on. "Don't attack people that enter through the Doors of Verification; that's the order given to Mike."

"How much do they weight?" Bleach asked, staring at the doors with narrowed eyes.

"Each of the first doors is two tons."

"Normally, no one can push such…" Leorio trailed off as the wheels turned in his head. "Wait. Did you say first doors?"

"Yes." The guardian confirmed with a nod. "Look, you can see that there is a total of 7 pairs of doors. The weight doubles each time the size changes."

"WHAT?!" Bleach and Leorio exclaimed at the same time.

"They were built so that we open the one corresponding to our strength."

"Very well!" Bleach put in, marching towards the doors as she pulled her sleeves to her elbows. "I'll open them."

"Hahahahahaha!" Leorio laughed, making the girl glare at him from over her shoulder. "Sorry, girly, but with this skinny arms, you won't be able to open even the key's door."

"Just watch, old man."

Bleach took a deep breath and did the same as the guardian: using Ren, she concentrated her aura on her upper body. The guardian watched the girl with anticipation; it had been a long time since a Nen user had come to the Zoldyck estate. Maybe, she'd be able to get in.

Gritting her teeth, Bleach laid her hands on the Testing Gate. Sure, she wasn't particularly strong, physically, but, using Nen, she should be able to open a couple of fucking doors. If that old geezer could do it, she could too!

And so, she pushed.

And pushed. And pushed. And pushed…

* * *

175 and three-quarters 'And pushed' later...

_**Really, that isn't going to work…** _

_Wait a minute, the door bulged!_

_**One miser millimeter, dumbass! Give up; you're too weak.** _

_I can fucking do it! There's no way I'm going to give the old man something to rub on my nose! I will open this fucking door!_

* * *

She didn't.

Bleach did manage to move the doors a few millimeters apart, but nothing even close to allowing a person to pass through. Actually, even a little leaf had to squeeze to pass through the doors.

Laying her hands on her knees and breathing heavily, the girl glared at the doors with all her hate. If only looks could explode doors!

"Told you couldn't do it." Leorio stated with a big grin on his face, making Bleach turn her glare from the gate to him.

"Don't rub it in, Leorio." Kurapika stated, crossing his arms over his chest. "She did better than you."

"WHAT SIDE ARE YOU ON?!"

"How the fu- hell did Killua open this gate?" Bleach demanded of the guardian as she stood up.

"Actually, Master Killua opened three gates when he returned home."

"WHAT?!" Bleach and Leorio exclaimed at the same time. Again. Bleach scowled; it was the third time that she and Leorio spoke the same at the same time. They were too synchronized for her taste. _  
_

"It's 12 tons!" Gon said, impressed.

"Er… It's 16 tons, Gon." Kurapika corrected.

"You understand, now? To enter the Zoldyck domain, you must have some abilities." The guardian spoke. "Their world is different than yours."

"Sir, lend me your keys." Gon asked, surprising everyone. "I must pass a test only to see my friend… I think being an intruder fits me better."

Bleach thanked all of the gods she didn't believe in that the guardian refused to give Gon the key. Instead, he offered to call the Zoldyck's attendants.

* * *

After the guardian - Zeburo, they discovered his name was – called the Zoldycks' attendants and after Gon called (and screamed at) the Zoldycks attendants, Gon decided to do something stupid and try to climb up the gates.

"Gon! Get down, right FUCKING now!"

"Bleach, Mito-san says i-"

"What?! I can't FUCKING hear you! You'll FUCKING have to come down from that SHITTY gate to FUCKING speak to me, Gon!"

"Ne, that won't work, Bleach!" The boy responded as he continued to climb. "I'm still going to see Killua!"

"Nothing to do…" Zeburo breathed out before raising his voice. "Gon! I'm giving you the keys! With these, you'll be able to pass through the door."

Bleach wiped her head to stare at the guardian with wide eyes. "What the fuck?!"

"Sir! Wait! We'll make him forget this crazy idea!" Kurapika tried.

"Really? Gon seems very stubborn." Zeburo commented. "I'm compensation, I'll pass through the intruders' door with you all. If I go, there is a small chance that Mike will remember me and won't kill us. Well, you can be almost 100% sure he'll kill us, but…"

"Why don't you just open the Doors of Verification for us?" Bleach suggested with an innocent smile on her face. "This way, we all live and Gon gets to see Killua."

"No."

Bleach dropped her head in defeat.

"Actually…"

Bleach's head shot back up. "Yes?"

"Gon, you like animals, right?" Zeburo asked.

"Y-Yes."

"There's no doubting it; you spent your life playing on the country-side, didn't you?"

"Yep. How did you know?"

"Guys, I'll reopen the Doors of Verification. Gon, this time, look at Mike's face."

* * *

One look at the Zoldycks' pet was enough to convince Gon to give up his idea of infiltrating the assassins' estate. So, Gon's party decided to enter it through the "correct" way: opening the Doors of Verification. And, to do that, they would train hard, under Zeburo's tutelage.

It wall began with 50kg vests, 20kg tea cups and 500kg doors. It was hell to everyone. But, thanks to that small hell, 20 days later, Gon, Kurapika, Leorio and Bleach were able to open the firs doors of the Testing Gate.

* * *

"We did it!" Gon exclaimed as they ran inside the Zoldyck's estate.

Their happiness wasn't lengthy; as soon as the doors closed behind them, Bleach opened her mouth:

"Guys, I'm going ahead. I want you to wait for me here."

"What?!" The three let out in unison.

"You don't honestly think that Mike is the sole defense of the Zoldyck, right?" Bleach asked as she crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm pretty sure we'll meet more dangerous obstacles ahead and I want to size them up before we head-dive into a fight."

"Ne, Bleach, don't you think that'll consume too much time?" Gon asked.

"This guys are serious sh- stuff, Gon. I really don't want you risking your life recklessly in a fight against them."

"Going on your own is pretty reckless, as well." Kurapika scolded.

"Don't worry, Blondie. I'm pretty good at stealth." Bleach spoke with a cocky smirk on her lips. "Actually, when I was younger, my job depended almost solely on stealth and, let me tell you, I was the best."

"Oh, really?" Leorio asked, unconvinced.

Widening her smirk, Bleach raised the man's knife in front of her face. "Really."

Leorio's eyes widened and he started to search his empty pockets. "What the-?! When d- How did-" Then, a scowl made its ways to his lips as he harshly grabbed the knife from the girl's hand.

"Trust me, guys." Bleach said with a reassuring smile. "It'll be safer this way."'

Then, she disappeared in the forest's shadows.

* * *

Of course, none of the boys listened to Bleach, after all, she wasn't exactly the brightest bulb in the box. Also, Gon wanted to see Killua. Now.

So, they moved forward, until they met Kanaria, one of the Zoldycks' butlers.

"Leave." She stated simply.

The three saw that she was strong, probably stronger than they were, but they wouldn't turn back now.

Still, Kurapika couldn't help but wonder if it would have been better if they had waited for Bleach to return with some data about the place before proceeding.


	9. The Zoldyck Family: In and Out

_"Guys, I'm going ahead. I want you to wait for me here." Bleach said._

_"What?!" Gon, Leorio and Kurapika let out in unison._

_"You don't honestly think that Mike is the sole defense of the Zoldyck, right?" Bleach asked as she crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm pretty sure we'll meet more dangerous obstacles ahead and I want to size them up before we head-dive into a fight."_

* * *

Honestly, Bleach was quite disappointed with Killua's family. After meeting that monster they dared to call a pet, Bleach was expecting hell to reach the Zoldyck's mansion, but it wasn't really that bad. The traps were no more challenging that the ones she found while invading museums and mansions for the Mafia, and she was able to sneak past their bodyguards easily enough. Ging had taught her very well about Ten, Ren and Zetsu, but the last one would always be her best and most favorite technique.

First, Bleach found the butlers' mansion. For a moment, she believed she had arrived at Killua's home, but the place, though large and richly decorated, was much too small to be the home for the most infamous family of assassins in the world. Also, she was about a mile from the base of Kukuroo Mountain and she remembered Illumi saying that his family lived "at the very top''.

So, she continued to walk in the shadows, getting higher and higher in the mountain.

While working as the Mafia's lapdog, Bleach had infiltrated and broken into many spectacular mansions and even castles, but nothing compared to the massive construction that was the Zoldyck mansion.

Really, the only thing Bleach thought that could compare to it was that Lou-something Palace that was turned into a museum, from which she robbed a painting of a half-smiling, half-smirking, half-deadpanning woman, whose eyes seemed to follow you everywhere. Bleach felt a proud smirk stretch on her lips at the memory; the people in the museum still didn't know that the painting they had was actually a counterfeit she had replaced the original for.

Dismissing her memories and her awe at the mansion, Bleach started to round it, careful to avoid setting off any of the many traps and alarms she found. She wouldn't dare trying to break in the house yet; she didn't have the chance to study the place's blueprint beforehand, and she betted her ass that all of those external windows and doors had some sort of alarm that had to be turned off before they were opened.

Soon, Bleach's eyes settled in a female butler that was walking on the first floor. She smirked; that butler would let her in the house.

From the shadows, Bleach watched the woman move around, inspecting the rooms and occasionally stopping to fix a painting or take off some dust. It was boring, but the former thief waited patiently for her opportunity window to open. Literally.

As the white-haired girl predicted, the butler ended up finding a room that did not meet her standards. Before she started cleaning said room, the butler did what Bleach was waiting for: she opened one of the windows.

The butler had her back to the girl as she cleaned the room so, silently and carefully, Bleach stalked to the window, jumped in the mansion and hid from the butler's sight, shadowing her steps from behind.

As soon as the butler was done with the cleaning, she closed the window, reactivated its alarm -  _Ha! I fucking knew it! -_ and walked out of the room, leaving Bleach there, alone.

_Oh, yeah. I still got it._

A smile of near-ecstasy stretched across Bleach's face and her mouth watered as she put a small elephant ornament, which was made of gold and encrusted by actual rubies and diamonds, in her backpack.

It had been so long -  _too fucking long_  - since she last had such an exciting and rewarding task. Bleach's eyes darkened in pleasure and she bit her lower lip to prevent a whimper from escaping her.

Really, why did she ever let go of sneaking, stalking and stealing?

* * *

Bleach had half a mind to search for Killua's parents' bedroom, where she would most likely find a safe filled to the brink with extremely expensive jewelry and cash in specimen. If there was something that Bleach learned while working for the Mafia was that people from the Underworld always had some millions jenny in cash and goods stored in their houses, just as a precaution.

But, to Bleach's utmost annoyance, Gon's face popped up in her head and she dismissed the idea. The boy was desperate to find Killua and she was sure that Ging's son wouldn't wait too long for her before going after his friend.

If only she knew that the boy hadn't waited at all…

So, contenting herself to stealing only the valuables she came across, Bleach made her way down. Down where exactly, she didn't know. But, it didn't matter; down always meant worse punishments, so she knew that Killua was down.

Why?

Because Killua had run away from his family of ASSASSINS, cutting his MOTHER and… Milluki (whoever that was) in the process. The boy was going to be punished. Badly.

Soon, the girl found herself wandering through a maze of dungeon-like corridors, looking for any sign of Killua: a strand of hair, a shoe, blood, a missing limb… Anything was game for her.

Instead, she heard two male voices that she didn't know getting closer. Bleach thought about running but discarded the idea quickly; she'd only get lost in the damned place. Also, if she eavesdropped, the men might give her some intel about Killua's location.

So, soundlessly, Bleach leaped and spread her arms and legs wide open so she could use the walls to hold her body up and close to the ceiling, out of the men's sight but close to their voice's range.

A couple of seconds later, Bleach could see an old man and a fat boy walking beneath her. She felt her eyes widen.  _HOW THE FUCK CAN THAT FATSO BE AN ASSASSIN?!_ Also, the ring the fatso had around his pinky finger had a nice and big diamond encrusted in it.

"Millu, what do you think of Killu's potential?" The old man asked.

"It's incredible, sure. He's probably the most talented Zoldyck in history. Mama seems to think so, and I have to agree."

Bleach scowled. Good thing Killua wasn't hearing that; his ego was already too inflated.

"Considerable praise." The old man commented.

Since the men were getting farther and farther, and Bleach was curious to eavesdrop on them, the girl did her best to follow them, by crawling via walls, without making a noise. It was harder than she thought it would be.

"But he fails as an assassin because he's so moody."

Bleach furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. After Kurapika, she believed that Killua was the most in control of himself in the group. Leorio was the moody one.

"Moody?" The old man echoed. It seemed he shared her disagreement.

"A kid who wants to make friends can't lead the Zoldyck family. In the end, he's just a crybaby. Mentally weak."

This time, the girl rolled her eyes; of course the fatso shared of Illumi's crazy 'friends-are-worse-than-AIDS' view of life.

The men's discussion was getting boring so Bleach had half a mind to stop following them, but, as luck (or lack of it) would have it, the stone she had grabbed last with her right hand was loose and slipped from the wall and fell to the ground, taking the white-haired girl down with it.

Not even raising her upper body from the floor, Bleach gazed up at the two men who were now staring at her. The old man had a curious eyebrow raised while the fatso had his usually squinty eyes wide in shock.

Bleach smiled innocently at them.

And took off to the opposite direction.

"STOP!" The fatso demanded in an angry shout. Bleach scoffed, as if that would make her-

BAM!

Bleach felt something grab her ankle and fell face-first on the floor. Eyes narrowed and nose bleeding, she activated Gyo and looked over her shoulder and her eyes widened at what she saw. There was a fucking Aura dragon biting her ankle! The girl's eyes followed the things' body to the old man's hand.

"Dragon Head." She heard the old man say. Was that his power's name?  _Cool._

Bleach watched the two men approach her and she quickly put her innocent smile back on. The fatso was storming towards her; fury written all over his face and second chin, while the old man walked calmly, though imposingly.

"So, which of you fine gentlemen will tell me where Killua is?"

To Bleach's amusement, the fatso's face turned red in anger at her question. To her relief, the old man smirked in amusement.

* * *

Now, it was one of those rare moments in her life that Bleach considered herself lucky. Very lucky.

Lucky because Zeno was one of the people that found her infiltrating in the Zoldyck mansion. Not only the old man seemed to be calm, sensitive and not violent, but he was also one of the hotshots in the place. Instead of allowing his grandson, Milluki, to kill the girl, Zeno ordered him to take her to one of the mansion's lounge and leave her. Granted, he allowed his grandson to do that by dragging the girl by the hair, but, considering her situation, Bleach found that some puling of hair was a small price to pay.

After that, Zeno asked Bleach to sit down on the couch and talk to him, just have a civilized conversation really, as they waited for Killua to finish talking to his father.

In other words, Bleach was pretty sure that she would get out of the place alive, unharmed and in good terms with one of the leaders of the Zoldyck family. AND carrying a backpack full of small, and pretty expensive, souvenirs.

"So, you're Killua's friend." The old man, Zeno, more stated than asked. "You're not Gon, though. What's your name?"

"I'm Bleach." The girl explained. "I came here to help Gon find Killua. Talking about the boy, is he okay?"

"Which one?"

"Kil- Both, actually."

"Killua is fine; Milluki's torture was like a walk in the park for him. I'm not exactly sure about Gon's state, though; last I heard, he was going to the butlers' quarters."

"Isn't there safe?"

Zeno's smile made a shiver run down Bleach's spine. "Perhaps, it is. Perhaps, it isn't. Our butlers may be rather… playful sometimes."

"…I can't believe you managed to use the word  _playful_ to describe a dangerous situation. And succeeded." Bleach admitted. "So, where exactly are those quarters?"

Truth be told, after hearing that Gon might be in danger, Bleach was ready to ditch Killua and run to the brunette boy. She didn't need to do that though; as soon as those words left her lips, the female butler that had unknowingly allowed Bleach to enter knocked on the lounge's door and announced that Master Killua was waiting for her at the mansion's front doors.

Bleach didn't even try to hold back the relieved sigh that passed through her lips as she stood up.

"Well, I'm taking my leave then. Thanks for the hospitality, Zeno."

"Before you go, take this." The man raised a business card to her. "If you ever need anyone killed, give me a call. I'll give you a 30% discount."

Bleach didn't know what to say to that, so she simply smiled and took the card.

When the girl was about to walk out the door, Zeno spoke: "Also, empty your backpack."

Bleach turned around with furrowed eyebrows. "What are you talking about?"

Zeno just raised his eyebrows.

"Fine…" Bleach let out a disappointed sigh as she began removing all of her pretty souvenirs from her backpack. "How did you know, anyway?"

"Illumi gave us a very detailed report about every person that Killu interacted with during the Hunter Exam." Zeno explained, grabbing the elephant ornament and examining it. "Your part was quite extensive, you know? Perfect stealth, good perception skills, stealing tags from the insides of a man's pants without him noticing, cheating in a poker game without letting Illumi discover how, strange healing abilities… any of these ring a bell?"

Bleach smirked at the man. "Yeah, yeah. So, you hadn't really noticed I had stolen those. You just deduced."

Zeno returned the smirk. "Yes, I just deduced. You are quite the skilled thief, girl. If you ever find yourself in need of money, give me a call. I may actually have a job for you, some day."

* * *

"I honestly can't believe you managed to break in my home." Killua commented in a disappointed voice as he and Bleach walked to the butlers' quarters. "The security there sure is decadent."

"I can't believe it took you 12 years to finally to get out of there. And you weren't even able to avoid confrontation as you ran away." Bleach retorted, giving Killua an annoying smirk. "I guess your stealth sucks a little bit, huh? Especially for an assassin…"

"Shut up."

Bleach smirked in triumph.

"Ah! I have something you'll like to see." Bleach said as she shoved her hand into her turtleneck's collar and beneath her bra.

Killua quickly covered his eyes and actually gagged. "EWWWW! I don't want to see any of that! Pedophile!"

"Shut up, idiot! That's not what I meant!" The girl spat as she retrieved a piece of jewelry from her bra. A ring, with a nice and big diamond on it. "Open your eyes."

Hesitantly, Killua peaked between his fingers. His eyes widened and a big smile stretched across his face.

"No way! You stole Buta-kun's ring!"

* * *

Kikyou and Zeno were in Silva's... office? Yes, let's call it office. They all were discussing the events that had just taken place in the Zoldyck estate. Illumi was also participating in the conversation through a loudspeaker, since he wasn't in his home at the moment.

"And your father let him go, Illumi!" Kikyou complained exasperated. "My son! My sweet Killu!"

"Calm down, Mom, I'm sure Father has a plan." The robotic voice of the eldest of Zoldyck's siblings sounded even more robotic through the apparel. "I knew the boy, Gon, had potential, but I didn't think that he'd manage to pass the Testing Gate, let alone get so far in the estate. Really, for him to arrive at the butlers' quarters… I underestimated him."

"Actually-" Zeno put in. "-another of Killu's friends got even further."

Kikyou and Silva turned their questionings gazes to Zeno, who just smirked in amusement.

"That girl you mentioned in your reports, Illumi, Bleach was her name."

"Ah! The little cheater. What about her?"

"Millu and I found her wandering around the dungeons of the mansion." Zeno spoke. "She was looking for Killu. And raiding our home meanwhile."

"WHAT?!" Kikyou exclaimed in shock. "Why didn't you tell us that sooner, Grandpa?!"

"There was no need for it. She was completely harmless." Zeno stated with a shrug of her shoulders. "So, I just ordered her to empty her backpack and sent her away with Killu."

"Of course she tried to steal something." Illumi stated.

"Many things, actually; very expensive ones, at that. The girl has a good eye to find valuab-"

"MAMA! PAPA!" Milluki called desperately as he barged into Silva's office.

"What is it, Millu?!" Kikyou snapped. "Can't you see we're having an important conversation?!"

"The diamond ring you gave me! It must've slipped from my finger! I can't find it anywhere!"

A deadpanned silence settled in the room as Zeno, Silva and Kikyou exchanged glances.

Zeno's eyes twinkled in amusement. There was no way that the diamond ring had just slipped from Milluki's fat fingers; the girl had managed to steal it when he was dragging her by the hair. Directly from his finger. Without allowing Millu to even notice it.

Kikyou's scowl was ugly and terrifying, while the corners of Silva's mouth turned a little upwards. They could hear lllumi sigh from the loudspeaker.

Zeno let out a heartfelt laugh. "Oh, that girl is good."

* * *

A couple of minutes before Killua and Bleach reached the butlers' quarters, another of the Zoldyck family members appeared in front of them. A small and black-haired kid that was wearing a kimono.

"Kalluto?" Killua asked. "What are you doing here?"

"Nii-san, come home." Kalluto said in a voice as emotionless as Illumi's. "Mom really doesn't want you to go."

"I don't care. I'm going to Gon." Killua stated firmly. "If you have something else to say, say it. If not, let us pass."

A tense silence was established. Unfortunately for Kalluto and Killua, Bleach took it upon herself to put an end to it.

"You know, I didn't know you had a baby sister, Killua. The guide that brought us to Kukuroo Mountain said that all of the Zoldyck children were male." Then, she elbowed him playfully on the ribs. "You'll have to look out for this one; the boys are going to fall head over heels for such a pretty thing."

Killua looked mortified.

Kalluto looked like HE was about to commit murder. Which HE was. The BOY's death glare was so intense that Bleach actually gulped.

"I'm a boy." He said simply, before disappearing from view.

For one second, Bleach felt really ashamed of herself. After that second, she was rolling on the ground with laughter.

Killua never felt so much second-hand shame in his life as he did in that moment.

* * *

Soon, Killua and Bleach arrived at the butlers' quarters and, since Gon, Kurapika and Leorio weren't there yet, started to play some videogames that the boy had left there.

That night, Bleach decided she hated videogames. And that she hated even more playing them with Killua.

"I won again! Man, you really suck at this." The boy cheered. "Anyway, what's the score now?"

"…" Bleach mumbled, resisting the urge to throw her remote on the wall.

"What? I can't hear you."

"27x0!" Bleach yelled by the boy's ear. "CAN YOU FUCKING HEAR ME  **NOW**?!"

"Yes…" Killua answered, covering his abused ear with his hand, but never losing the smile. He may have just lost half of his hearing, but it was totally worth it.

* * *

There is only so much videogame a person can play in a row. So, sooner rather than later, Bleach was done playing it. And, later rather than sooner, Killua quit it too.

"How long until they get here?" Bleach complained. "Maybe your butler forgot to warn us?"

"Gotoh wouldn't forget this." Killua stated defensively.

"Still, it doesn't cost anything to go check it out." Bleach commented as she stood up

Killua sighed. "Fine."

* * *

Sure enough, Gon, Kurapika and Leorio were already in the quarters. And, after a heart-warming reunion, the five of them got out of the Zoldyck estate.

After the Doors of Verification closed behind her, Bleach couldn't help but turn around and stare at them for some moments. Noticing that the girl had lagged behind a little, Kurapika walked to her.

"We've been through a lot in the last twenty days." The blonde commented with a soft smile. "It was hard, but we got over it, and it made us much stronger."

Bleach smiled back. "Yes."

They spent some seconds in silence as Bleach continued to stare at the gates with a contemplative expression on her face. Finally, Kurapika asked:

"What are you thinking about?"

"Just that… I really wished I had a can of spray paint with me right now, so I could write a big FUCK YOU, ZOLDYCKS on those damned doors."

Kurapika's eyes widened at the girl's unexpected answer.

Then, he doubled over laughing.

* * *

"No way!" Leorio exclaimed on the bus ride back to the city. "You invaded Killua's home?! How?! We didn't even passed through the butlers' quarters!"

Bleach smirked. "I'm just that awesome."

"Back to the topic!" Killua cut in, turning his gaze back to Gon. "Gon, you said you won't use your Hunter's License until you punch Hisoka and return his tag to him. So, where is Hisoka?"

"Ehh…" Gon obviously didn't know.

"Thought so." Leorio couldn't help but comment.

"…I know where he is, Gon." Kurapika stated, surprising everyone.

"How?" Leorio asked.

"He told me."

"So, that's what he said in the fight…" Leorio concluded.

"No, this was after the orientation."

"I've been itching to ask…" The brunette man continued. "What did Hisoka say to you in the fight?"

Kurapika's gaze grew intense. "He told me that he had information about the Spider. And I do not recall mentioning the Phantom Troupe to Hisoka. So, either he overheard mine and Leorio's conversation during the First Phase, or he heard it from another. I was interested in his information."

"I see…" Leorio commented.

Bleach didn't understand what they were talking about, but she thought better not to interrupt the flow of the conversation. She'd ask one of the guys about this Phantom Troupe later.

"After the orientation, I asked him about it. He said he would wait for me in York Shin City, on September 1st."

"Ne, then you still have over half a year to go." Gon said. "What's going to happen in York Shin City that day?"

Leorio snapped his fingers. "They'll hold the world's largest auction."

"Exactly." Kurapika confirmed. "From September 1st to September 10th, there will be an auction for unusual items, rare goods and natural treasures from all around the world."

Kurapika's words actually gave Bleach goosebumps - of the good kind. Oh, how she'd love to acquire some of those items for herself. And she didn't intend to pay for any of them.

"The event attracts all kinds of nasty people who want to satisfy their greed. It's the biggest gathering of money in the world."

"We're going!" Bleach exclaimed suddenly as she jumped from her seat with a demented smile on her face and almost drooling. The strange looks she received from the group made her shrink back down to her seat. "I mean… we're going?"

"I am, because so is the Troupe." Kurapika answered. "They are a group of bandits so they won't let this chance escape them."

 _Neither am I,_ Bleach thought. That little stunt she pulled at the Zoldyck mansion did leave her wanting for more. A miser diamond ring would be nothing compared to what she'd get from those auctions!

"So, on that day, Hisoka will be somewhere in the city." Kurapika concluded.

"Got it. September 1st; York Shin City." Gon said with a smile. "Thanks."

* * *

After their bus arrived at the small city near Kukuroo Mountain, the five of them started to walk to the airport. Kurapika was the first to speak:

"Well, I'm going then."

"Huh?" The rest let out.

"We managed to see Killua again, so I'm done here. I'll need money to participate in the auction, so I will search for a patron that will hire me as a Hunter."

"I guess I'm going home as well, then." Leorio said, earning another collective  _Huh?._ "I haven't given up on my dream of becoming a doctor! If I'm accepted at the Medical School, I'm using this-" He raised his Hunter's License. "-to pay for the ridiculous fee."

"Leorio as a doctor?" Bleach asked with a smirk on her face. "I'll make sure to avoid hospitals from now on."

"SHUT UP!" Leorio yelled, glaring down at the girl.

Bleach raised her hands in a mock-surrender gesture. "Chill, old man. It's a joke. Also, you know me; I don't reject anything that's free, not even medical treatment." Bleach's smirk softened. A little bit. "So hurry up and become a good doctor, so I don't have to pay for Health Insurance for much longer, ok?"

Dumbfounded, Leorio blinked at the girl before giving her a big grin. "Right!"

Gon pulled Bleach's sleeve softly, getting the girl to lower her head to him.

"Ne, you pay Health Insurance, Bleach?"

The girl scoffed. "As if."

"Ah! So you said that just to make Leorio happy!" The boy concluded with a big smile on his face.

Bleach scowled. "Of course not, Gon. I said that to make him shut up."

"Uh huh! Whatever you say."

Some minutes later, inside the city's airport, the five of them got together in a circle.

"Until we meet again." Leorio began.

Kurapka continued. "Yes, that will be…"

" **September 1st! In York Shin City!"**


	10. Celestial Tower: Heaven's Arena

"Bye, bye!" Gon yelled as he waved to Kurapika and Leorio's airship. "I guess it's just the three of us now. What you want to do?"

"You have to ask? Train, of course." Killua said matter-of-factly.

"Or we could chill out for a few days." Bleach suggested, crossing her arms behind her head. "I think we deserve some rest."

Killua didn't think twice before kicking the girl's shin.

"Ouch! You little sh- brat! What was that for?!"

"After that ridiculous suggestion, I refuse to dignify you with an answer." The former assassin stated before turning back to Gon. "We train."

"But… train for what?" Gon asked. "Shouldn't we go have some fun?"

"Ha! Suck on that, brat! Gon agrees with me!"

An angry vein started to pulse on Killua's forehead as he shoved his face close to Gon's. "Do you remember what you said?! Think you can punch Hisoka in the face without training? You wouldn't be able to land a punch in ten years, let alone six months!"

And so, to Bleach's misery, they decided to use the six months they had until the reunion in York Shin to train and earn some money. And Killua knew the perfect place to do both.

"Let's get moving, then. To Heavens Arena!"

* * *

"Killua Zoldyck-sama, you are number 2054. Gon Freecs-sama, you are number 2055. Bleach-sama, you are number 2056." An attendant of the Heavens Arena explained. "They'll call your number on the first floor of the arena, so make sure you remember it. Please, go ahead."

The trio made their way to an enormous stadium-like room, filled with fighting rings.

"Ah, it has been a while, but this place hasn't changed." Killua commented as they sat down at one of the benches.

"You've been here before?" Gon asked.

"Yeah, when I was six. My dad left me here without a penny. He said I should reach floor 200 before I returned home."

"And the Daddy of the Year Award goes to…! Anyone but your father." Bleach announced with a frown on her face. "Really, what kind of shit does he have in his head to do that?"

Killua leaped and slapped Bleach on the back of her head.

"The hell, kid?!"

"Don't talk like that about my father." Killua said with a chilling gaze before returning to his easy-going expression. "Anyway, it took me two years to get there."

Bleach and Gon were both surprised at hearing that. Killua was strong, extremely strong, and he stil took two years to arrive at the 200th floor? Maybe this thing would be harder than they thought…

" **Number 1973. Number 2055. Please, enter ring E."**

"Ahhhh! It's me!" Gon exclaimed in a whining voice. "I'm getting a little nervous, now!"

"Don't worry, Gon." Bleach winked at the boy. "You'll hand those guys' asses to them in a silver plate."

"Still…"

"Gon, you got through the Doors of Verification, right?" Killuas asked. "In that case, all you have to do is push hard."

* * *

Killua and Bleach watched with amused smiles as one of Gon's pushes sent his adversary, who was fat enough to be used as a wrecking ball, flying out of the ring and slamming on the wall behind him.

" **Number 2054. Number 2001. Please, enter ring F."**

"Ah, that's me." Killua commented as he stood up.

" **Number 1997. Number 2056. Please, enter ring B."**

Bleach smirked and stood up as well. "And that's me. See you in the next stage, Killua."

* * *

Killua defeated his opponent with one chop on the back of his neck.

Bleach needed one kick to the head to knock out hers.

All of three raised to the 50th floor.

Actually, another boy was able to knock put his adversary with one blow and went up with them. His name was Zushi.

* * *

"I've heard that, when you get to the 100th floor, you get your own room." Zushi commented as he rode up the elevator with the trio.

Killua, Gon and Bleach looked at Zushi from over their shoulders, as if just noticing the boy was there.

"Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. Osu! My name is Zushi!" The boy spoke with a strong voice.

"Osu! My name is Bleach!" The girl responded with a mocking tone, what earned her a smirk from Killua and a scolding look from Gon.

"I'm Killua." The former assassin introduced himself.

"And I'm Gon. Nice to meet you." The brunette replied with a smile.

"We have arrived at the 50th floor." The elevator attendant announced and the four younglings stepped out.

"I watched your fights earlier." Zushi resumed the conversation. "They were really amazing!"

"What are you talking about? You made it here with just one match as well." Killua commented.

Bleach's eyes widened. "Really?"

"That's right." Gon nodded.

"No… I still have a long way to go." Zushi spoke with a humble smile. "By the way, which martial arts discipline do you practice? I study the Shingen-Ryu fighting technique."

The trio exchanged confused looks. Killua was the one who answered the question.

"Discipline? We don't have one…"

"What?!" Zushi let out, surprised. "You're that strong with no training? I still have much far to go!"

Bleach smirked in amusement and was about to comment that the boy was actually doing very well to his age when a clapping sound approached.

"Zushi." A smiling man with black hair called as he approached. He wore glasses and his shirt was untucked. "You did well and adhered to my teachings. "

"Master! Osu! I'm honored." The little boy greeted energetically. "Also, Master… your shirt is untucked again."

"Ah! Sorry about that." The man spoke in embarrassment as he fixed his shirt. "And who are they?"

"Oh, these are Gon-san, Killua-san and Bleach-san."

"Nice to meet you, I'm Wing."

"Osu!" Gon and Killua greeted in unison.

Bleach raised an amused eyebrow at the boys -  _I_ _can't believe they are serious about this Osu! crap_ \- before nodding at the man.

"Nice to meet you, too."

Wing smiled in acknowledgement. "I didn't expect to meet other children here." He began, obviously referring to Gon and Killua. "Why are you here?"

"Well, we want to become stronger." Killua explained.

"And earn money!" Bleach completed with a big smirk.

"Killua is a veteran here." Gon put in.

"Really? Well, if you're up here, you must be fairly skilled. But, you should pay strict attention to your opponent's body, as well as your own."

Bleach's eyebrows raised at Wing's words as a memory of her time with Ging came to mind.

" _One of the most important applications of Ren is using Gyo in your eyes. This way you can see the enemy's aura as clear as day and know from where his attacks will come and where his defenses are weaker. Remember to always pay attention to your enemy's body."_

Bleach's eyes narrowed as she followed Gon, Killua and Zushi to a sort of lockerroom so they could wait for their next fight.  _What the fuck was that dejá vu?_

* * *

"-ch! Bleach!" Gon called as he waved his hand in front of the girl's eyes.

The trio was sitting in silence on one of the benches in the locker room, alongside Zushi.

"Huh? What's up, Gon?"

"Are you OK? You seemed so out if it…"

The girl gave him a reassuring smile. "Yeah. I was just thinking; don't worry."

"What were you thi-"

" **Number 2054, Killua-sama. Number 1963, Zushi-sama. Please, head to Arena A, on the 57** **th** **floor."**

Their chat ended when the loudspeaker voice spoke Killua's name. Automatically, Bleach's eyes watched Zushi's retreating figure as he and Killua walked to the Arena A. Her eyebrows furrowed; could it be that Wing had taught the boy about Nen already? Maybe she should go watch Killua's match…

" **Number 2055, Gon-sama. Number 1789, Hioshi-sama. Please, head to Arena C, on the 56** **th** **floor."**

"Ah, that's me!" Gon spoke and walked off. "See you later, Bleach!"

"See ya, Gon!" Bleach waved.

Well, she wouldn't be able to watch Killua's match if she had one of her own to fight, right? When Gon was out of sight, Bleach walked to one of the Arena's attendants.

"Hey, Miss. Can I talk with you for a sec?"

"Of course, eh…" The attendant hit some buttons in her computer. "…Bleach-sama! What can I do for you?"

"Could you do me a favor? Make sure my next fight doesn't happen in the next hour, please?"

"Bleach-sama, I'm not allowed to-"

"See that boy over there?" Bleach cut in with a sad smile on her face, pointing to Killua. "He's my baby brother. Our father sent us both here to train without a penny and forbade us to go back home before we made it to the 200th floor. I have no problem with it, but… Killua is just a kid. He gets really scared during his fights, so I promised I'd be there watching and cheering for him. I just… I really don't want him to look up looking for me and find no one watching out for him, you know? And his fight is about to start... Please, Miss, help me out. For my baby brother."

By the time Bleach was done, the attendan'ts eyes were full of tears.

"I-I'm so sorry, Bleach-sama! I had no idea! Don't worry, I'll make sure that none of your fights coincide!"

Bleach gave the woman a big and innocent smile. "Thank you very much, Miss! You're really awesome!"

As she walked to the 57th floor, Bleach examined a tuff of her white hair with a smirk on her face. Who would've guesses that having a hair of the same colour of Killua's would ever be good for something?

* * *

Yes, Bleach concluded as she watched Killua and Zushi's fight, Wing had taught Zushi about Nen.

If not, Zushi wouldn't be able to use Ten to protect himself from Killua's attacks, and the former assassin would've won the fight with his second chop.

Also, Zushi had used his Ren in an attempt to level up his game to Killua. But Wing's extremely loud scream stopped the boy. The rest of the fight continued normally.

"Maybe it's time I had  _the talk_ with the boys." Bleach mumbled to herself. "It's time they learn a little about Nen already."

* * *

"Nen?" Gon and Killua echoed at the same time. "What's that?"

"We all have some sort of energy inside us; this energy is called Aura. Nen is the ability to control this energy in a way that makes us stronger." Bleach explained before turning to look directly at Killua. "That Ren think you heard Zushi and Wing talking about is one of the four major principles of Nen. It was the technique that Zushi used and scared you."

"I wasn't scared!" Killua protested but was ignored.

"Ne, Bleach, how do you know this?" Gon asked.

"Your father taught me, Gon." Bleach answered with a smile. "He's a master of Nen, you know?"

A big smile broke in the boy's face. "That's so cool!"

"Can you teach us?" Killua more demanded than asked.

"I… don't think I can." Bleach admitted, scratching the back of her head. "I'm not exactly a master of Nen, you know? My knowledge about it only covers some of the Basic Principles, really. And there are some serious risks in learning Nen the fast way, which, I believe, will be your choice."

"Yes!" They both confirmed simultaneously.

"So, why don't you two ask Wing to teach you? He's teaching Zushi already, so I don't think he'll mind teaching you two, as well."

"Osu!" Gon exclaimed.

"No."

Gon and Bleach blinked at Killua's negative.

"Let's just keep going up." The former assassin spoke. "Wing doesn't want Zushi using Ren, so I don't think he'll want us using it either. I don't think he'd be a good teacher for us, Gon. He might hold us back as he is doing Zushi. Let's get stronger on our own."

"Alright…" Gon agreed reluctantly.

Bleach shrugged her shoulders. It wouldn't be long before the boys went back on this decision; they were to curious and eager to get stronger and there was nothing she could give them with her current mastery over Nen. If they wished to learn Nen and live, they needed a proper master to baptize them and teach how to control their Aura.

* * *

The boys decided to confront Zushi and Wing about Nen a week later, when they all were already at the 150th floor. All it took was a reminder of Zushi's existence by the Arena's many TVs to make the boys wonder once again about Nen. This time, they couldn't hold back their curiosity and decided to dig deeper and ask Wing about it.

Both boys followed Wing to his home while Bleach stayed back in the Heavens Arena. She knew the basics about Nen already, so there was no need for her to tag along. Also, she had been told about a very neat bar on the 200th floor and she wanted to check it out.

So, as Wing taught the boys about the basis of Nen, Bleach took a well-deserved break from childish distractions to enjoy some more mature entertainment and made her way to that Heavens Arena's bar with all the intentions in the world to leave the place with a man dangling on her arm. Well, give the girl a break, alright? It had been more than six months since she had gotten any.

Sitting alone at a table in the corner and with a non-alcoholic drink in her hands (since Ging, Bleach never put a drop of alcohol in her system), Bleach watched the people around her. Lots of fighters and rich men could be spotted. The harvest was plenty and of good quality but Bleach was having some trouble knowing what to do. Truth be told, she had never been to a bar before.

Looking back a couple of years, Bleach noticed she never needed to seduce a man before either. Before Ging, Bleach had her clients, but she did not have to seduce them; they'd come to her with the money and that was it.

After Ging left her, Bleach didn't go back to prostitution. She got in an airship and made her way to a nice country to find a job and a place to stay as she waited for the Hunter Exam to arrive. She found both with the Mitchel family, who gave her a job in their store and let her rent their attic as a bedroom.

It took her more than one year to get over her traumas and have sex again. Some friends that Bleach had made in the town convinced her to give Harry, one of the guys of the group, chance. And, to Bleach's utmost surprise, it was good. Harry was a 17 years old boy at the time, just like her, and he was nice, gentle and took things slow, taking Bleach out on fun dates, caring about making her feel good and safe, and never pushing her to do anything she wasn't comfortable with. Harry had been extremely patient regarding Bleach's past traumas and reluctance to have sex. He was an extremely good person.

Thinking back, she shouldn't have left without saying good-bye to him… Oh, well, he'd get over it. Bleach would never meet the boy again, anyway, so there was no need for her to worry about him now. Harry wasn't the love of her life after all; he wasn't Ging.

_Oh crap. Did I just think Ging is the love of my life? Man… I really need to get some._

The (original) point of this is: Bleach didn't know to pick up guys from bars.

The girl sighed in defeat; maybe going there hadn't been a good idea, after all.

"Hello, there."

Bleach raised her contacts covered eyes to see a brunette man sit at her table. His eyes were green instead of the warm brown she preferred, but he still was very handsome. He gave her a friendly smile.

"Hi." Bleach greeted with a nod.

"So, tell me, what is a girl doing all alone in a bar with a non-alcoholic beverage in her hands?"

Bleach raised an amused eyebrow at the man. "And what is a man doing here with no drink whatsoever in his?"

"Touché." The man consented with a chuckle. "Truth is: I did not want to be here. A friend of mine gave me a call to spend some time with him." He pointed to a man across the bar, who was laughing with a woman. "But now, he has found a more interesting company and abandoned me."

"So, you thought that I would be your  _interesting company_  for the night?"

The man's eyes widened and a blush crept up his neck and cheeks.

"I did not mean it like that. I mean, yes, I saw you here and thought that we could talk and all, but I did not mean anything more than that, I swear."

"Too bad." Bleach put in, raising her glass to her lips. "I came here just to get laid."

The brunette's jaw dropped.

"… Your necklace is very pretty." He spoke after some moments of an awkwars silence, in a desperate attempt to initiate a PG-rated conversation with the girl before him. "Family heirloom?"

* * *

Bleach and the man talked to each other for the best part of an hour before his cell phone rang.

"Oh, it is my alarm." He explained as he turned the thing off. "I have to go now."

"What?" Bleach let out in shock. They were getting along so well! And he was just going to stand up and leave? "But, but! I thought that we would... you know, fuck!"

Blushing again, the man laughed awkwardly. "I-I told you, did I not? I just wanted to talk."

"Still!"

"And I have a fight that I cannot lose tomorrow morning; I have to go to bed early." He said as he stood up and offered the girl his hand. "Hey, why do you not go watch my fight? If you do, I will take you out afterwards."

"Alright…" Bleach agreed with a pout, taking the man's hand and standing up. "I'll go watch your damn fight. What name should I look for on the panels tomorrow?"

"Elmsy." The man spoke as he raised Bleach's hand to his lips and planted a kiss on her knuckles. "My name is Elmsy. And my fight will happen here, at the 200th floor."

* * *

Bleach decided not to tell Gon and Killua about Elmsy and go watch his fight by herself.

It was a little because she wanted to spend some more time by herself, but more because she didn't care to explain to Gon and Killua how she had met Elmsy. Really, how embarrassing would it be for her to tell Gon that she went to the bar to pick up guys? Even worse! How humiliating it would be to admit to Killua that she hadn't succeeded?!

In the end, it was a good thing that she didn't invite the boys. The place was full of skilled Nen users that let out a murderous Ren, and Bleach doubted that Wing had already taught them about how to use Ten to fend off other people's Aura, so there was no way in hell that those two would bear to spend much time in the 200th floor with her.

Still, some part of Bleach regretted not taking the boys with her; they would've loved the fight, not to mention that it would be good for them to see two people fighting each other with Nen, even if they still couldn't use Gyo to see the fighters' Aura yet.

Elmsy's opponent, while very strong – stronger than herself, Bleach noted with a scowl on her face – was nowhere near the brunette's level. The girl watched with wide and attentive eyes as Elmsy dodged his adversary's blows easily. The fight became a little more levelled when Elmsy's adversary used his Emitter Nen to shoot Aura's projectiles from all of the area of his body, as if he was one big-ass machine-gun.

Bleach's eyes widened even more when Elsmy conjured a hardy longshield AND copies of himself. The girl watched with amazement as Elmsy used his shield to defend him and his four copies so they all could advance towards his opponent. When they were close enough, the copies left the safety of their genitor's shadow and attacked their adversary, enduring the hit of some the Nen bullets, and tackle him to the ground. Elmsy didn't think twice before slamming the lowest point of his shield on his adversary's head forcefully and knock him out.

"And the winner is: Elmsy, the Floor Master of the 247th!"

Everyone cheered as the judge announced Elmsy's victory. Elmsy himself wasn't particularly happy with his victory; it was nothing much to him. Still, when he spotted Bleach among the audience, staring at him with big eyes full of awe and admiration, just as she used to do when she was a kid, he smiled brightly.

* * *

"That fight was amazing! You're amazing!" Bleach exclaimed as she and Elmsy rode the elevator up to the 247th floor, aka: Elmsy's floor. "And what exactly is a Floor Master, anyway? The judge called you that."

"Being a Floor Master means that I own one of the 21 highest floors from Heavens Arena." Elmsy explained with a smile.

"You have your own floor?! That must be so cool!"

"It is pretty neat. Here, see for yourself." Elmsy spoke as the elevator's door opened to reveal the most luxurious place Bleach had ever seen - aside from Killua's home, of course.

Bleach walked inside, observing her surroundings with awe, as Elmsy walked away from her view.

"So much room… Fuck, this TV is huge! And look at this couch! It seems so comfortable." Of course, Bleach didn't waste a second before jumping on said couch. "It IS as soft as it seems. Hmm… I'm in heaven!"

A couple of minutes later, the girl saw Elmsy return, holding two wicked-looking red chakrams, one in each hand.

She raised an eyebrow at the man. "Elmsy, if you're planning to kill me, do it with now, while I'm on this sofa, so I can die happy."

"It is not my intention to kill you." Elmsy spoke good-naturedly as he sat down on the couch, besides the girl who was unceremoniously sprawled on it. "These are a gift from me to you."

Bleach sat up quickly and her eyes moved from Elmsy's to the chakrams in his hand.

"What? Why?" The girl asked suspiciously. "They look expensive. Why would you give them to me?"

"Actually, it's more like returning them to you." The man spoke, confusing Bleach even more. "Take them, you'll see."

Bleach hesitated for less than a second before closing her hands around the weapons.

"AAAAHHHHHHH!"

She started to burn.

* * *

Next thing Bleach knew, she was in hell. Or the closest thing to it that she could imagine. The girl was face down on a rock, and, all around her, there was lava and fire. Meteor City's heat was nothing compared to what she felt now; it seemed that her flesh and skin were going to melt off her bones.

"What… the fuck?" Bleach let out painfully. The air she took in burned her lungs.

" **YOU HAVE SOME NERVE, CHOSEN ONE! TO COME BACK TO ME AFTER EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE!"**

Bleach's head snapped up to the direction the booming, male voice had come from. The girl's eyes widened in shock and fear. Walking through the lava was an enormous… beast? Person? Monster? Bleach didn't know what he was exactly. His skin was of a reddish brown colour, and he had the body and the head of a man - a 5 meters tall, extremely muscular and bald man – but his nose, holed by a bull's piercing, was more like a pig's. His ears were long and pointy, his eyebrow-less scarlet eyes had slit pupils like those of a cat's, and he had two horns on his forehead - one was long and a little curved, while the other was broken close to its base. And, to top it all, he was completely naked; the only thing covering his privates from Bleach's eyes was a strong fire, burning in a deep red colour around his waist.

"Who… the fuck… are you?"

An amused grin stretched on its lips. Bleach felt dread grown in her at noticing how long and sharp his fangs were.

" **HAHAHA! SO YOU COME HERE NOT KNOWING WHO I AM OR WHAT I'M CAPABLE OF? IS THE FAMILY TRYING TO KILL YOU, CHOSEN ONE?"**

"I have no family." Bleach forced out through gritted teeth with narrowed eyes, forcing her body in a sitting position. "And my name is Bleach; I'm tired of this… chosen one crap... already. Also... you didn't… answer my question… who... are you?"

The creature was taken back. What did that girl mean by  _no family_ and  _I'm tired of this chosen one crap_? He tried to search his memories for something that could explain the girl's words, but nothing came to mind. Last thing he remembered was some members of the Family trying to use his chakrams to defend themselves from an attack - none of them were the chosen one, so they all died.

Suddenly, his eyes widened in realization. Could it be that…

" **YOUR FAMILY- I MEAN, THE CASTERE FAMILY… ARE THEY ALL-"**

"Dead? Yes. At least... that's what… I've been told." Bleach answered curtly. "Truth is; I don't... remember anything about... them."

Bleach furrowed her eyebrows in confusion; the creature before her seemed to be sad for a short moment before his eyes recovered their fire.

" **VERY WELL, THE LEAST I OWE YOU IS AN INTRODUTION. MY NAME IS FOOG AND I AM THE GUARDIAN OF FIRE."**

"So, you… can control fire?" Foog nodded. "Then… FOR FUCK'S SAKE, TURN THE FUCKING HEAT DOWN ALREADY, I'M DYING HERE!"

Foog's eyes widened for a second before an amused grin stretched on his lips. Then, all of sudden, the lava froze and the flames all around Bleach died, allowing the girl some sort of comfort. Letting out a sigh of relieve at being able to breath again, Bleach raised her hands to her eyes; they were burnt red and full of ugly blisters. just like her exposed legs. She didn't even want to imagine what her face was like.

"So… you're like Namid, then? One of the Castere's seven guardians?"

" **NOT THEIRS ANYMORE. NOT SINCE THEY SEALED ME AND MY BROTHERS AWAY."** Foog answered, his voice dripping venom.  **"WHAT ABOUT YOU? YOU ARE THE CHOSEN ONE, BUT NOT A CASTERE. WHAT ARE YOU?"**

Bleach shrugged. "Just a woman."

" **AND DO YOU WANT WITH ME?"**

"Honestly? I didn't even know that you existed. Namid and I didn't really talk much about the Castere. Only that they had seven guardians to defend them and that I, as this Chosen One, have the power to summon them."

" **HOW DID YOUR SOUL SYNC WITH MINE THEN?"** Foog demanded, staring down at the girl with his arms crossed over his chest.

"No idea. All I remember was Elmsy offering me to hold two red chackrams, and then, I was burning in hell." Bleach answered, looking up at Foog with a smirk on her lips. "But, I really think that my visit here could be very beneficial."

" **WHY?"**

"Because you could lend me your power and teach me how to use it. I would be really strong if I had your power."

" **WHY WOULD I SERVE YOU? I SERVED YOUR FAMILY FOR GENERATIONS AND THEY REPAID ME BY LOCKING ME IN THOSE CHAKRAMS YOU HELD!"**

"Who said anything about serving?" Bleach asked, narrowing her eyes. "I don't want you to serve me. I fucking hate that word;  _serve._ I want you to  **help**  me become stronger. Wouldn't you like that? Being summoned to fights and unleash your power? It must be boring being in here all the time…"

For a long time, both stayed in complete silence. Finally, Bleach had enough of it.

"If you don't want to help me, it's okay. I won't force you, big guy." The girl spoke as she stood up, flinching at the pain of her burned flesh. "So, how do I 'unsync' our souls? I want to go back to reality and kick Elmsy's ass for putting me through this hell. Literally."

Foog's lips twitched upwards and he pointed at Bleach's ankle. " **YOU JUST HAVE TO BREAK THE CHAIN THAT'S LINKING US TOGETHER"**

Bleach looked down at her ankle and, sure enough, there was a chain connecting it to Foog's. The girl gave her guardian a small smirk and grabbed the chain with both hands. She was about to break it, but stopped herself; there was something she had to say.

"I know this is going to sound extremely stupid, but…" Bleach took in a deep breath then proceeded to speak at a very high speed. "I'm not a fucking Castere, but I feel like I owe you an apology in name of those shitheads. They had no right to seal you in those lame chakrams. So, yeah… I'm really sorry. If I ever find a way to unseal you, I'll do it."

The girl was about to break the chain in her hands, but Foog pulled it away.

"What are you-?"

" **I'LL DO IT. I'LL LEND YOU MY POWER."**

* * *

"You. Fucking. Son of a bitch!" Bleach yelled at Elmsy as she threw his very sharp –and expensive – kitchen knives at him. Bleach's skin was an angry red and full of blisters, just it had been in that weird hell; Namid was using her power to heal it. "You knew what was going to happen! I got third degree burns because of your shit!"

"Calm down, Butterfly-"

Elmsy dodged another knife. "Don't you fucking Butterfly me!"

"-I knew that Namid's power would be able to heal you once you came back - like it is doing now. And I knew that Foog would come around."

"You seem to know a lot of things." Bleach commented, pausing her assault to glare at the brunette. "How?"

Elmsy smiled nervously. "If I tell you, do you promise not to throw knives at me anymore?"

"…Fine."

Both sat down on Elmsy's "sofa of heavens", as Bleach had named it.

"I trust Namid has told you about your origins." Elmsy began.

"Just a little. I didn't care much to hear it."

"Then you made a big mistake. One cannot improve her future without knowing her past."

"I know my past!" Bleach snapped. "I1m an orphan from Meteor City!"

"Your past involves more people than yourself!" The man yelled back, losing his cool for a moment. "I'm sorry; I should not have yelled at you. What I am trying to say is; yes, it is important to always look forward, but not if it means to pretend you have no past. You must take into account that, once, you were a Castere. The Castere were your family, Butterfly. Do not pretend that they did not exist just because you do not remember them."

Bleach chewed on her bottom lip for a second before conceding.

"Fine. Tell me, then. Tell me about the Castere and their guardians. Mostly, about their guardians"

Elmsy smiled. "Very well…"

* * *

Elmsy told Bleach everything she needed and didn't need to know about the Castere. In the end, she didn't know if she should feel happy for having such an awesome Nen or sick for coming from a family that slaved everyone around them. One thing she was sure of, though; she would never assume their last name as hers.

"That was… informative." Bleach breathed out as she stood up from the sofa. "Thank you, Elmsy."

"Going already?"

"Yeah. I have a fight scheduled in thirty minutes." The girl answered as she walked to the elevator with Elmsy on her heels. "Also, I have lots of thinking to do. It's not every day that you find out that your family were a lot of narcissist slavers."

Elsmy was indignant. "They were no-"

"Sorry; shouldn't have said that." Bleach put in quickly.  _But, they were._

"…It is alright." Elmsy let go, pulling the elevator's door open for Bleach. "You will come back, right?"

Bleach nodded. "It may take a few days, but I will."

The anxious smile Elmsy gave her almost made her heart melt.

"I will be waiting for it, my little Rainbow Butterfly."


	11. Celestial Tower: 200th Floor

_"I have lots of thinking to do. It's not every day that you find out that your family were a lot of narcissist slavers."_

_Elsmy was indignant. "They were no-"_

_"Sorry; shouldn't have said that." Bleach put in quickly. But, they were._

_"…It is alright." Elmsy let go, pulling the elevator's door open for Bleach. "You will come back, right?"_

_Bleach nodded. "It may take a few days, but I will."_

_The anxious smile Elmsy gave her almost made her heart melt._

_"I will be waiting for it, my little Rainbow Butterfly."_

* * *

_A few days later._

"Ne, what's the 200th floor like?" Gon asked.

"Who knows?" Killua responded. "I've never been up there before."

"It's luxurious." Bleach commented. "And I bet the payment for winning the fights will be so good!"

The trio was in the elevator, rising to the 200th floor; all of them were pretty excited about reaching the top floor of Heavens Arena.

DING!

The elevator's doors opened to reveal the 200th floor's hallway and Gon wasted no time in jumping out of the metal cage.

"Wow! The 200th floor is so fancy!" The kid commented excitedly.

"Right?" Bleach spoke with a big smirk on her lips. "Imagine how our rooms will be!"

Killua didn't share his companions' excitement. "Where is the receptionist…? This way?"

With that, the white-haired kid started to follow some the signs that lead to the receptionist, with Gon and Bleach following close behind. The three fighters had a smile on their faces as they walked to the receptionist; they were experiencing that feeling of accomplishment that left you feeling happy and, most of all, at ease.

It ended when they turned left and felt a murderous Aura so intense, it killed that heart- warming feeling without pity.

With a scowl on her face, Bleach activated her Ten and continued to walk. The girl didn't take two steps forward before noticing that the boys weren't following her. She turned around with an amused smirk on her face.

"What the hell are you guys waiting for? An invitation?"

Both boys exchanged a look and nodded at each other. Then, they resumed walking forwards. However, a sudden surge of that same killer intent made they stop once again.

Bleach's smirk dropped and she activated Gyo. Why weren't the boys using Ten? They had told her that Wing had explained about Nen already, so they should've, at least, had some sort of mastery over Ten. Could it be that the Nen master just told them about Nen and didn't actually  _teach_  them?

 _Fuck,_ The girl thought as she marched towards the boys with heavy steps.  _I should've gone with them to make sure they learned their shit._

"Hey! Who's there?!" Killua yelled. "Show yourself!"

Suddenly, the killer intent disappeared and one of the Heaven's Arena attendant walked towards them.

"Killua-sama, Gon-sama and Bleach-sama, correct? The receptionist's desk is over there, so, please, register for a match today. You won't be able to register after midnight, so be careful." Bleach looked up to a digital clock on the wall. It was still 20:12; they had plenty of time.

"Was she the source of all that?" Gon asked.

"No way." Bleach answered. "She isn't much."

"Looks can be deceiving." Killua commented.

"Believe me, she isn't capable of projecting such a murderous intent."

"By the way-" The attendant resumed. "-there are currently 173 contestants in the 200s class. And, starting on the 200s, all weapons are allowed in the matches, so, please, use whatever you have. Also, you will no longer receive a monetary prize in the 200s class; you will fight only for glory."

"WHAT?!" Of course, Bleach didn't like hearing that. "That's fuc- so unfair! I want to go back to the 190s!"

The complaint had barely left Bleach's mouth and, out of nowhere, a card appeared besides the attendant's head and flew to the floor, right in front of the trio. The three raised their gazes from the card and back to the attendant and their eyes widened. Right behind the attendant was the creepiest of the creeps, the jester, the one and only…

"Hisoka!"

So, the clown was the source of that blood-lusting killer intent…

Scowling in annoyance, Bleach looked from the clown to the kids behind her. She knew she would have to help Gon and Killua to pass through Hisoka's murderous intent and she believed that maybe she could do it. She wasn't particularly good at Ren, but she believed that - with a lot of effort and luck - she was capable of projecting enough of her Aura to envelop the boys' petites bodies for a couple of seconds. The problem was: Hisoka wouldn't like that; not one bit. And she really,  _really_  didn't want to fight the magician.

Still, she couldn't leave Gon and Killua to fend for themselves, not against  _him_ of all people.

"Well… fuck."

* * *

Bleach almost kissed Wing on the lips when he appeared to take the boys with him and truly teach them Nen. Actually, she just didn't do it because she was still mad at him for not having taught them before.

"Ne, Bleach, why are you coming with us? You know Nen already; you should go register for a fight and ensure that you don't drop floors."

"I'm going to make sure that Wing teaches you the real sh- thing this time, Gon." Bleach answered, smirking at the annoyed look she received from the Nen master. "Also, I don't really mind dropping from the 200th. I like getting money from my fights, you know?"

* * *

Bleach was pleasantly surprised at Gon and Killua's natural talent. If Ging had said that she was a natural regarding Nen, she could only imagine what he'd say about his son, who had mastered Ten in less than two hours; less than half of the time it took her.

"You two are good. Scarily so." Bleach commented as they walked from Wing's house to the Heaven's Arena.

Now, the three of them would be able to register and continue on the 200th floor.

Bleach sighed.  _Yay. The fucking 200th floor, where there is no money prizes. I wonder which one of us will fight first... I'm sure as fuck it won't be me. No reason for me to fight if I won't get anything in return. Fucking penny-pinchers._

* * *

"Your right radius and ulna are broken. Fractured humerus. Three broken ribs. And twelve other minor fractures." Killua listed as he and Bleach glared at Gon. "Four months before you're completely healed."

The former assassin was sitting on the foot of the bed, in front of Gon, while Bleach sat beside the brunette.

Bleach moved her gaze from Gon to Killua and smiled. "You wanna go first?" Killua looked at the girl and nodded before returning his glare to Gon.

"You moron!"

"Sorry..." Gon said sheepishly.

"An apology won't help!" Killua exploded, poking Gon's forehead forcefully. "Do you have any brains in here?! Didn't you see what happened to those who suffered the traditional Nen greeting?! One wrong ove and you could've ended up like them! You're lucky not to be hurt any worse. Man, why do you think the Four-Eyes was training us for?"

"Still, I had a feeling that I'd be okay." Gon said.

Bleach and Killua deadpanned at that and looked at each other. After a few seconds, the girl nodded.

Killua pressed the ball of his foot on Gon's fractured arm, making the poor brunette winkle in pain.

"Alright, Killua. My turn." Bleach spoke, pushing Killua's foot away from Gon.

"Gon, sweety-" Bleach began in a saccharine voice that made both boys shiver in fear. "-tell me something." Still smiling, she scooted closer to Gon, who followed his survival instincts and scooted away. "Are you… OUT OF YOUR FUCKING MIND?!"

"Bleach, Mito-san-"

"Don't you fucking Mito-san me, right now! I'm fucking pissed at you! You were stupid, Gon! To accept a challenge from a fighter that already masters Nen without knowing shit about it?! That's fucking ridiculous! But the worse: you deactivated your Ren and entered Zetsu! Do you have any idea of the risks you were taking?! You could've died, Gon!"

"I-I'm sorry…"

"I don't want an apology, Gon! I want you to promise not to do such reckless shit again! I don't mind you challenging a friend stronger than you, like me or Killua or even Wing, and risking getting your ass kicked; this is how you get stronger. But, I do mind you accepting to fight a complete and amoral stranger like that Gido fucker and risking your life! Never do that again, alright?! Not without proper training!"

Gon stared at Bleach's angry and worried eyes with his wide ones. Slowly, a smile stretched across the boy's face and he offered the girl his unbroken pinky finger.

"I promise."

Bleach's eyes widened before she returned Gon's smile with a smirk and winded her own pinky around the boy's.

Then, the trio heard a knock on the door.

"Come in!" Killua spoke as he stood up from the bed to open the door.

Sure enough, it was Wing standing there, and he didn't look happy. Bleach's smirk widened as she turned her eyes from the Nen teacher to Gon.

"You know what they say: three is the charm."

For the third time in less than an hour, Gon had his sorry ass raked. Also, for two months, the time Killua told Wing that would take for Gon to recover, the brunette was forbidden to train Nen.

Killua and Bleach decided to accompany him in that.

* * *

_One month later._

"Gon, you scare me." Bleach spoke as she and Killua watched the boy jump from side to side with wide eyes. "How did you recover from all of those injuries in just one month?"

"As if you're one to talk." Killua spoke. "In your fight with Hanzo, you recovered from that cut he made on your shoulder in seconds."

"Yeah, but only because this-" Bleach raised her pendant for the boys to see. "-helps me heal. It isn't natural of my body like it is to Gon."

"Whatever…"

"Awwwn! Is Killua-chan sad because he can't recover as fast as his friends?" Bleach teased with a smirk.

Killua narrowed his eyes at the girl and was about to attack her when Gon put in, obviously trying (and succeeding) to avoid a fight between his two white-haired friends.

"Ne, Killua, wasn't you about to say something?"

"Ah, right. Here…" The former assassin fished three tickets from his pocket.

"Tickets?" Gon let out.

"These aren't ordinary tickets. They are for Hisoka's fight."

* * *

Unfortunately, since Gon was still in that two months' probation of not studying Nen, he couldn't go see Hisoka's fight, leaving Killua and Bleach to go to it by themselves.

"You should smile, Killua." Bleach spoke with a smirk. "After all, I bet this is the closest to a date you've ever been in your life."

"That's none of your business! And I wouldn't want to be on a date with you even with you were the last girl on Earth!" Killua spat, sparing an ugly glare at the girl before turning his eyes back to the arena. "Now, shut up. It's about to start; Hisoka and Kastro's fight."

* * *

Killua and Bleach were speechless when they left Hisoka's fight.

"Kastro's technique…" Bleach began looking in the distance. "It was weak. Why?"

Killua looked up at the girl. "What do you mean?"

Bleach stared back at the boy. "I met a man here, a Floor Master called Elmsy. He is also able to make copies of himself with his Nen, but, his doubles were higher in number AND much stronger than Kastro's. Also, Elmsy's doubles weren't unstable as Kastro's were; they were like real fighters that had complete mastery over Nen and obeyed Elmsy's orders. I don't understand why such a difference, though. I mean, it's the same technique, right? Shouldn't the doubles have the same strength?"

Killua sighed and shoved his hands in his pants' front pockets. Indeed, Bleach's question made sense. If Kastro and that Elmsy guy were, indeed, using the same technique, why did one use it in a stronger way? But that was the least of his concerns. How did Hisoka manage to heal his severed arm during the fight? That was an even more troubling matter.

It seemed that there was still much about Nen that they didn't know.

* * *

A month later, after Gon was free to train again, Wing resumed teaching the boys about Nen. Gon and Killua's next lesson was Gyo. Every day, the boys would go to Wing's apartment and watch the video from Hisoka's fight.

"Wing, can I talk with you for a minute?" Bleach asked the teacher.

"Sure, come with me."

Both walked out of Wing's living room, in which Gon, Killua and Zushi were practicing their Gyo, and on apartment's veranda.

"You wish for me to give you a tougher training, right?" Wing asked.

"You sure don't beat around the bush, huh?" Bleach spoke with a smirk on her lips. "But, yes, that's pretty much it. It's not that I want to surpass the boys or anything but… Well, I already know how to use Gyo. And Ten, Zetsu and Ren. I was hoping you could teach me Hatsu."

"I see… Well, I have a proposition for you." Wing spoke after some moments. "We'll make a test and, according to the result, I will orientate you on how to practice your Hatsu. But, you'll have to wait for Gon and Killua to master their Ten, Zetsu and Ren before I give you any more help. Also, you can't tell the boys about this."

"Deal."

"Tell me, Bleach, what do you know about the Six Classes of Nen?"

* * *

"So, all I have to do is use Ren on this cup?" Bleach asked Wing as she stared at the water-filled glass, which had a little leaf floating on it.

"Exactly. This will show us in which category your Aura falls."

"Okay."

Wing watched was Bleach activated Ren around her hands. The teacher's eyes widened at what he saw.

"The fuck?!" Bleach let out and jumped back from the glass.

"I wasn't expecting this." Wing spoke as he raised the glass to his eyes. "You're a Specialist type, Bleach."

Inside the glass, there were seven little fishes swimming; one for each colour of the rainbow.

"Is this bad?" The girl asked, glaring at the fishes.

"There is no good or bad in Nen, Bleach; everyone is different, so every Nen is different. As long as you learn how to use your Nen properly, you'll do great." Wing explained with a smile. "But, there is a small problem about your Specialist Nen."

"Huh? What?"

"I can't help you improve it." Wing admitted. "I can suggest that you repeat this glass exercise and that's about it. Since I don't know what your Nen does, I can't teach you how to use it. I'm sorry, but this is something you'll have to learn on your own."

Bleach sighed. "It's alright, I guess. I can manage on my own." Then, her eyes lit up in epiphany. "Actually, there is someone that might help me!"

* * *

"And the winner, and still Floor Master, is Elmsy!"

From her place on the floor, close by the arena, Bleach watched as Elmsy waved and smiled at his audience tiredly. She couldn't help but smirk in amusement; despite being Floor Master for God knows how long, the man sure didn't like showing off. When he jumped off the arena, Bleach was quick to push her way through the fan girls that were surrounding Elmsy and approach him. Actually, more like fell down in front of him.

"Arysa!" Elmsy let out as he picked up the girl that was glaring over her shoulder at the poor fan girl that accidentally pushed her to the floor. "Are you alright?"

Bleach frowned and narrowed her eyes at the man. "I told you before; my name is Bleach."

"And I told  _you_ before, your name is Arysa." Elsmy said, frowning back.

Bleach was about to retort, but the surrounding girls' loud voices stopped her.

"Who's that girl? Why's Elmsy talking to her?"

"Is she his girlfriend?"

"WHAT?! No way! Elmsy is mine!"

"You bitch! Get away from him!"

As one, the fan girls started to emanate a murderous intent more terrifying than Hisoka's. Bleach felt cold sweat streak down her neck and back as she activate Ten to protect herself.

"Elmsy, get me out of here." The fan girls got closer. "NOW!"

* * *

"Those bitches are fucking crazy!"

"Language, Butterfly."

"My name isn't Butterfly either."

"You will have to choose between Arysa and Butterfly, because I am not calling you  _Bleach_. You are not a cleaning product."

"As if being a flying insect is much better."

They bickered like that all the way up to Elmsy's floor.

Miraculously, Elmsy and Bleach managed to run away from the man's fan girls with their bodies almost intact; Bleach had received many hits, but hey were mostly gone by now thanks to Namid's healing power. Their clothes on the other hand weren't so lucky; they could barely be classified as rags now.

"Wait here a little bit." Elmsy spoke, motioning to his living room. "I will get us some new clothes."

"Alright."

Bleach sat down on the couch of heavens and closed her eyes, visualizing Foog's chakrams. Since that unpleasant first encounter, Bleach hadn't succeeded in summing the Fire Guardian's weapons not even once, despite trying to do so many times in the weeks Gon wasn't forbidden of using Nen. Taking deep breaths, Bleach thought of the Guardian that was fire's incarnation.

"What are you doing?" She heard Elmsy ask.

Concentration lost, Bleach let her Aura return to its normal flow and opened her eyes, giving Elmsy, who had already changed his clothes, an annoyed look.

"I was about to succeed in summoning Foog's chakram. But you ruined it."

The man smiled in amusement and sat down besides the girl, putting the clothes he was carrying on his lap.

"You were doing it wrong." The man spoke calmly. "Do not try to think only about Foog. Imagine his power and what you wish to do with it. After all, you must have a reason to call to him, right?"

The girl nodded and closed her eyes again. This time, she didn't think only of Foog and his chakrams. She thought of fire and of what she wanted: to become stronger, so she could find Ging alongside Gon. And never, ever again, let someone step over her as if she was nothing.

Elmsy watched the girl besides him with attentive eyes. His Gyo showed him how her Aura flew to her hands in a slow but sure rhythm and how it started to change its neutral nature to a fiery one. Suddenly, the chakrams appeared in Bleach's hands and her eyes opened and, even though she was using brown contacts, he knew her irises had turned red. He almost took out her contacts himself to see them.

For a short moment, Bleach's world was red. But that wasn't important. What really mattered was that, in her hands, she could feel Foog's chakrams, in her core, she could feel his power and, in her head, she could hear his voice.

' _ **FINALLY! I THOUGHT YOU'D NEVER BE ABLE TO DO IT, CHOSEN ONE.'**_

' _Bleach! My name is Bleach!'_

"I did it!" The girl exclaimed, turning her head to smile to Elmsy. "I summoned Foog's chakrams!"

"Yes." The man said, returning the smile. "Now, you have to learn how to use them."

"Alright!" Bleach agreed, jumping from the couch excitedly. "Let's go!"

"Go where?"

"Outside! You don't want me to burn the couch of heavens, do you?"

"Fair enough." The man conceded with a chuckle, but, instead of standing up, he grabbed the clothes from his lap and raised them to Bleach. "But, first, why do you not go change your clothes?"

Bleach looked down at her tattered clothes and smirked sheepishly.

"That's a good idea."

* * *

Dressed in one of Elmsy's oversized shirts and shorts, which were held on her lips by her belt, Bleach followed the man to the rooftop of one the many buildings that were in the city.

"You sure we can train here?" Bleach asked.

"I know the building's owner and he said it was alright for  _you_ to train here." Elmsy answered.

Bleach blinked in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I cannot help you anymore, Butterfly. You know that, when I started to protect your family, the Guardians had already been banned. I have never seen a Chosen One use Foog's power."

"Then, how did you know what I should do to summon the chakrams?"

"You may not remember but, when you were a child, you used Namid's power to heal me, yourself and the rest of the Family. Once, I asked how you did it and you explained to me that you just pictured the person you were healing cured. I just assumed that, to summon the other guardians' powers, you had to do the same."

"I can cure other people?!" Bleach let out. "Damn, if I had known that before, I could've healed Gon after his fight with Gido! Why didn't you tell me this before?"

"I am sorry. I thought that you remembered about, at least, your healing powers." Elmsy said and pointed to the indigo crown pendant around the girl's neck. "Since you still are wearing Namid's necklace and all."

"Whatever." Bleach dismissed, before giving the man a smirk. "So, anything else you forgot tell me before I start training?"

Elmsy returned the smirk with a smile. "Just good luck."

Bleach watched the man walk away in silence. For now, she had learned what she wanted from him already: a way to summon the chakrams. After she mastered the chakrams, she would bother the Floor Master again and learn about the other guardians; what their powers were and, most important, where were their weapons.

Taking a deep breath, Bleach sat down on the floor with her chakrams on her lap and started to meditate.

' _You have to think before you act, Bleach.'_ Ging had told her once.  _'There is no use in practicing Nen if you don't know what you must do with it. First, you understand the concept of your abilities. Then, you act upon them. The theoretical of Nen is just as important as the practical use.'_

That memory of Ging brought a soft smile to the girl's lips as she succeeded in synchronizing with Foog. She would learn all that she could about her Guardian of Fire and his powers, then, she would use them.

And so, as Killua and Gon trained under Wing's guidance, Bleach trained on her own, practicing every day with Foog and his chakrams.

* * *

_Weeks later._

"Bleach!" Gon called as he ran into the girl's room and jumped on the bed, on top of her. Killua watched his friend's antics from the doorway, with a detached smile on his face. "I did it!"

Startled awake from her nap, Bleach stared up at the boy with wide and confused eyes.

"Hisoka agreed to fight me!"

Bleach's eyes brightened up at hearing that and she couldn't help but hug the boy tightly. She didn't think she could ever feel what she was feeling then: pride for another's accomplishment.

"Ne, Bleach."

"Yes, Gon?"

"Please, let me go. I can't breathe."

* * *

"And the winner is Hisoka!"

"You did it, Gon!" Bleach exclaimed in happiness as she ran to the arena, towards the boy. Killua was close behind. "You punched that creepy clown right on the face! You're amazing! In no time, you'll truly kick his ass!"

Gon was listening to Bleach's praise, but his eyes didn't move from Hisoka's retreating figure. Gon would reach him, no matter what.

Suddenly, before the jester could leave the arena, the place's lights went off.

" **Ladies and Gentlemen!"** The fight's narrator began in the most excited voice anyone had ever heard. Everyone stopped talking.  **"Something inedited, something big, something UNBELIEVABLE has just happened! For the first time in the history of Heaven's Arena, one of our Floor Masters is defying a fighter!"**

A single cannon of light was lit and its beams fell directly over a very confused Bleach.

" **Bleach-sama! Someone has something to say to you!"**

Other cannon of light was lit, illuminating the area right in front of the girl. Standing there, with his arms crossed and a smile on his face, was none other than Elmsy.

"Arysa, I challenge you to a fight. Here and now."

Bleach blinked at the man, processing what he had just said to her. Slowly, a smirk stretched across her face.

"Let's do it."


	12. Celestial Tower: Moving Forwards

_A single cannon of light was lit and its beams fell directly over a very confused Bleach._

_" **Bleach-sama! Someone has something to say to you!"**_

_Other cannon of light was lit, illuminating the area right in front of the girl. Standing there, with his arms crossed and a smile on his face, was none other than Elmsy._

_"Arysa, I challenge you to a fight. Here and now."_

_Bleach blinked at the man, processing what he had just said to her. Slowly, a smirk stretched across her face._

_"Let's do it."_

* * *

"Death match system! Time limit: 10 minutes! 11 points TKO!" The judge announced. "Hajime!"

"Since when did you plan to fight me?" Bleach asked as she observed Elmsy with attentive eyes; her Ten and Gyo already activated. She scowled at noticing that the man wasn't even using Ten yet. He wasn't taking her seriously.

"Since you decided to learn how to use Foog's chakrams." Elmsy answered with a smile. "I thought this would be a nice way for you to test your powers. What do you think? Do not worry; I will take it sl-"

Bleach wasted no time and ran to Elmsy's direction, delivering a Ren-enhanced punch on his face. Since Elmsy wasn't even using Ten, he was sent flying across the arena.

"Clean hit and knock down! Two points! 2-0!"

Elmsy sat up and raised his wide eyes to Bleach.

"You may take it as slow as you want." The girl stated with a smirk on her face. "But I'm giving it all I got, and I'm not above taking cheap shots." Foog's chakrams appeared in her hand in less than a second.

A smile stretched across Elmsy's lips. Bleach sure had trained hard with her chakrams, if she could summon them that quickly.

"That hit was some quick thinking, Butterfly." Elmsy spoke, activating his Ten. "I do not know how I did not see that coming. You have always been cunning, you know? Since you were a little kid."

"Some things don't change, I guess?"

"I guess not."

With that, Elmsy attacked.

Bleach eyes widened as she bent back, barely dodging a kick aimed at her head.  _'He's fast.'_  Continuing his rotational movement, Elmsy lowered his body, using his other leg to try and trip the girl, but, before his leg made contact with hers, Bleach continued her backward movement and made a backflip.

As soon as her feet touched the ground, Bleach used them to boost her body towards Elmsy, closing both of her stretched arms in front of her in a movement that would've made her chakrams chop off the man's head, had he not dodged them. In a blink of an eye, Elmsy crouched down to avoid the slice and, even faster, raised himself in-between Bleach's arms, using his right fist to uppercut the girl's chin.

Bleach's Ten protect her jaw from any extensive damage, but the blow was strong enough to send her flying many feet up in the air. When she was about to start going down, a double of Emlsy's appeared behind her and delivered a powerful kick on the girl's side, making her fly to the right and down, where a second copy was waiting for her. The three Elmsys passed the girl around with kicks and punches as if they were using her as a ball in a volleyball game.

It was all so fast that all that Bleach was able to do was to keep her mediocre Ten to protect herself from suffering any extensive lesions. Unfortunately for her, Elmsy's Ren – Ko, actually, but the girl didn't know that - greatly surpassed her Ten. Therefore, even though the man wasn't using his full strength on her, the repeated hits were starting to deal some serious damage. When a kick dislocated her right femur from her hip bone, Bleach knew that she had to find a way to end this volleyball game. Fast.

' _ **BURN THEM.'**_

Bleach's eyes widened. Of course! Stupid! How could she forget about Foog's power?! She had been practicing it for the last couple of months! Sure, she couldn't use it on Elmsy and burn him to a crisp (though, by each hit she took, the idea seemed more and more tempting) but she could and  _would_ put an end to those annoying doubles!

As Bleach flew towards one of the doubles, she made a 180 degrees turn in the air, so she would go to it face-to-face. With a smirk on her lips, she raised her right arm to the copy in a way that the double stared directly into the chakram's hollow inner circle.

"Hell's Punishment!"

A blast of fire came out of the circle. The heat was so intense that it burned the double to ashes, and the blast so strong that it sent Bleach flying in the air - towards the second copy. The girl didn't waste a second in raising her other chakram to the second double.

"Hell's Punishment!"

Elmsy watched with bright eyes as both of his copies dematerialized in front of him. No wonder the Family had reigned absolute for so many hundreds of years; the Chosen One's powers were something to be respected and, most of all, feared. If Arysa could do that with just a couple of months training on her own, he didn't want to imagine how strong the Chosen Ones were before Aon, when they received special training to summon all of their guardians at once.

"Beautiful…" The man breathed out as he watched the flames guide Arysa to a safe place on the arena, many feet away from him.

"Elmsy; seven clean hits and one critical hit! 9 points! 2-9!"

Bleach flinched in pain as her feet hit the ground; she had to fix her hip. Eyes glued on Elmsy, the girl thought about Namid and of how she wanted her hip fixed and all of the many bruises covering her body gone. The necklace shone and, a couple of minutes later – Elmsy was very kind to wait - the damage on Bleach's body was gone.

Still, the girl fell to her knees, using one of the chakrams to support her upper body. Breathing hard and dripping sweat, Bleach narrowed her eyes at her opponent. How could she be so exhausted already when Elmsy hadn't even break a sweat yet? He was using Nen, just like her… Actually, thinking back on Hisoka's fights with Gon and Kastro, the clown had used Nen during the whole combat and it hadn't drained him nearly as much as it was draining her.

"Fuck…" Bleach breathed out in frustration. "I'm still doing something wrong."

"Beautiful!" Elmsy complimented as he clapped his hands. "It was really beautiful! You have truly improved, Butterfly! I'm very proud of you!"

Bleach smirk acidly at the man's compliments and forced herself to stand up. "You're talking as if I'm done already, Elmsy."

The man stopped clapping. "But you are… Are you not? Do not push yourself so much, Butterfly. Your growth on the last months is amazing, but there is only so much that your current control over Nen allows you to do. Surely, you can see that you are already close to your limit."

"Close, but not there yet. I still have a couple of tricks up my sleeve."

Elmsy smiled in anticipation. "Oh, I am truly looking forward to see it. Make it count, Butterfly; come at me with the intention to kill." Bleach's eyes widened at hearing those words. "Do not worry, I will be alright. Really, I promise."

The girl hesitated for a moment before nodding her head.

' _Foog, you know what to do.'_

' _ **YOU CAN COUNT ON ME.**_

"Fire Dance!"

With those words, Foog's chakrams set themselves on fire. Smirking in satisfaction at Elmsy's shocked expression, Bleach threw one of her chakrams towards him. Elmsy avoided it easily, jumping some feet up in the air and dropping back to the ground some feet back.

The girl wasted no time in charging at him again, using her other chakram as some sort of dagger. Elmsy quickly conjured a small shield around his left arm to defend himself from the fiery weapon in Bleach's hand.

Then, Elmsy conjured two other of his copies behind him. Quickly, those doubles ran to Bleach from opposite directions so they could attack the girl from both sides at once. But, before they could reach the girl, the chakram that she had thrown before circled her and Elmsy, slicing both of the man's copies at the waist.

The man barely had time to be surprised at the fact that one of Foog's chakrams was moving on its own since it was impossible for Bleach to be manipulating it herself with so little training and so little Aura left, before the girl activated Zetsu and jumped up high and out of his sight.

Elmsy's gaze didn't even try to accompany the girl because, coming towards him, was the possessed chakram. Quickly, the man raised his shield in front of him again to defend himself. The fiery chakram hit the shield and stuck there.

Then, the fire disappeared from the weapon. Elmsy's eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"Hell's Punishment."

Elmsy barely had time to look over his shoulder at the girl pointing her chakram at him before flames engulfed his whole body, turning it to a pile of ashes that disappeared in the air, just like his copies had done.

During the fight, Bleach was so concentrate in it that she wasn't listening to anything besides Elmsy's voice and movements. Still, the girl noticed when the whole place became silent.

No one could believe what had just happened. Elmsy, Floor Master for more than five years, had just been defeated,  _killed,_ by some unknown girl. Bleach felt a smirk stretch across her lips; the idea sounded ridiculous even to her and her mind simply refused to assimilate it had really happened.

Exhausted and Nen drained, Bleach fell on her butt unceremoniously and allowed Foog's chakrams to disappear from her hands.

Automatically, the girl's eyes searched for Gon and Killua among the audience. Both boys were sitting with Zushi and Wing, and the four were staring at her with wide and unbelieving eyes.

Then, the girl's eyes started to wander; she could see shock and confusion in every one's face. Only one person had overcame it: Hisoka. The clown had that expression she had seen on his face when he was fighting Gon, as if he was about to cum in his pants. Bleach frowned in disgust; Hisoka was the creepiest of creeps. Even creepier than Killua's eldeest brother.

"K-KO!" The judge announced at last. "The winner and new Floor Master of the 247th is Bl-"

"Not so fast!"

For the second time, the audience was shocked beyond believe. There was no mistaking that voice. But… it couldn't be!

Bleach raised her gaze to the structure that held four enormous plasma screens above the arena. She felt a tired smirk stretch across her face as a man jumped down from it and fell directly in front of the judge. The fall raised so much dust that, for more than a minute, no one could see what was happening on the arena.

"I knew it." Bleach spoke as the dust settled down, revealing the man's figure. "I just knew it."

Standing there, in the middle of arena, with a proud smile on his face, was none other than Elmsy.

" **What is happening here?!"** The narrator exclaimed.  **"How can this be?! I saw Elmsy be turned in barbeque with my own two eyes! Did he return from the World of the Dead?!"**

"No." Bleach spoke, staring straight into Elmsy's green eyes. "It was never you I was fighting, right? They were all mere copies of yourself."

"Yes. Sorry about that." Elmsy spoke with a nervous smile. "It would not be an interesting fight if I fought you myself. Do not take it in the wrong way, but you still have miles to go before we can fight each other for real, Butterfly."

"How weaker than you was your copy?"

"Eh… weaker."

Bleach sighed. "I see."

The girl forced herself to stand up on her trembling knees and throw her opponent one last smirk.

"All or nothing."

And she charged.

* * *

_On the next day._

"Good morning, Sleeping Beauty."

Bleach groaned and rolled to the side. "No way, Elmsy. Arysa and Butterfly are bad enough already. You are  _not_ giving me another nickname."

"How many times must I tell you? Arysa is not a nickname; it is your name."

"And how many times must I tell y- You know what, fuck this shit; we're going nowhere with this discussion. Call me whatever you want."

The girl sat up and looked around. She was in a king sized bed, in Elmsy's floor. Said man was sitting on a chair by the bed.

"How did I get here?"

"After that miserable last attack of yours, you passed out cold of exhaustion." Elmsy explained with a smile. "I brought you here so you could rest. My bed is far more comfortable than yours."

"And where are Gon and Killua?"

"They left not twenty minutes ago. They are at Wing's." Elmsy answered with a smile. "Actually, I should go after them. Gon made me promise that I would let them know when you woke up."

Elmsy made to stand up, but Bleach grabbed his wrist. "Wait. There is something I want to talk to you about."

"Of course. What can I do for you?"

"You've taught me what you know about the guardians' history. But, what about now? Do you know where they are?"

"You mean their weapons?"

"Yes." Bleach confirmed, eyes burning in anticipation.

"Well, unfortunately, some of the weapons are sealed inside the Castere Palace." Elmsy began, scratching the back of his head. "More specifically, Iaro's staff, Trera's bracelets and Iadbo's scythe."

"The Guardians of Lightening, Earth and… Darkness?" Elmsy nodded. "And how do I get there?"

Elmsy blushed.

"You do know where the Palace is… right?"

"I-I am truly sorry, but I do not." Elmsy admitted, dropping his head in shame. "After I found the Family dead, I wandered aimlessly for months, trying to find you. I walked and ran and swam without a destination, until one day I fainted from exhaustion and woke up in a hospital in York Shin City. And, to this day, I still was not able to figure out how I got there and where in the world is the Palace. Please, forgive me, Arysa."

"It's okay. I'll figure out where the palace is. Eventually." Bleach reassured with a smirk. "I guess you were pretty set in trying to find me on the first years, huh?"

"Not only on the first years." Elmsy spoke. "Until I saw one of your fights here, I kept traveling around the world looking for you. One of the perks of being a Floor Master is that people pay you small fortunes for a fighting lesson, and you have the right to fight only once every three months - not to mention Battle Olympia, of course. That allowed me to keep looking for you."

Bleach's eyes widened and her cheeks started to burn. All this time, Elmsy cared and looked for her? Never would the girl imagine that there was someone looking for her so… desperately.

"Cheesy idiot." Bleach let out, punching Elmsy lightly on the arm and turning her head to the side to hide her blush.

"It's true." The man retorted with a smile, holding the girl's hand on his arm. "When I saw the rest of the Family dead, I made a promise to myself that I would find you and make sure you were alright. After that, I would return and die with them."

"What the fuck?!" Bleach yelled, pulling her hand away from Elmsy's and turning her head back to glare at him. "What a ridiculous oath! Forget that, Elmsy! You are not going anywhere to fucking die, you hear me?! As the heir of the Castere, I forbid you!"

"Calm down, Butterfly. I do not even know where the Palace is, remember?"

"That's right…" Bleach mumbled, allowing the matter to drop. "Well, back to topic. You know where are the other two weapons? Eh… which ones were them again?"

"Eglo's bow and Runvle's mirror." Elmsy informed. "The Guardians of Ice and Protection. As I matter of fact; I do know exactly where they are."

Bleach's eyes twinkled.

"Eglo's bow is in York Shin City. It will be auctioned on the one of the World's Largest Auctions, on September 8th." An immensely satisfied smirk stretched on Bleach's lips as she mentally added the bow to her "shopping" list for when she went to the auctions. "Runvle's mirror is in possession of one of the Ten Dons of the Mafia. It is in a mansion in a private island, close York Shin."

"Could you give me the exact location?"

Elmsy furrowed his eyebrows at the request. "Sure… but, what exactly do you intend to do regarding the weapons?"

"Steal them, of course." Bleach answered with a cocky smirk. "I'm good at acquiring things that don't necessarily belong to me." Elmsy pinched the bridge of his nose. "Also, I'm going to need a detailed description of the bow and the mirror. I'll need to make a counterfeit of them to put in place of the originals."

"I cannot believe this. Arysa, you became a thief?"

"A girl gotta do what she gotta do, you know?" Bleach said with a smirk. "So, you're going to help me or what?"

Elmsy gave the girl an exasperated look, but nodded nonetheless. Suddenly, the two weapon in question appeared on Bleach's lap.

"These are exact copies of the weapons." Elmsy explained with a small smile. "Unfortunately, you will not be able to use them as replacements because they will disappear without me close by to provide my Aura to them."

Bleach examined the bow first; it was a beautiful longbow. The wood was painted in an icy blue colour with many dark blue snowflakes drawn on it. She gave its black string a weak pull; it was very firm. Setting the bow on the side of the bed, Bleach moved to the mirror. It was perfectly round and couldn't be larger than her palm; the mirrored side was of an orange-ish tone and its frame was brown and sturdy, with patterns complex and twisted.

"May I take some pictures?" Bleach asked.

"Of course." Elmsy spoke and stood up. He retrieved a Polaroid camera from the first drawer of his desk and returned to the bed. "Here."

Bleach gave a thankful nod and proceeded to photograph the bow and the mirror repeatedly and from many different angles.

"I'm done. You can let them disappear now." Bleach spoke and stood up. "And I think it's my time to do the same."

Elmsy blinked. "What?"

"I made Gon wait too much already." Bleach explained. "He must be dying to leave this place. Killua too; the brat must be cursing me to hell and back for taking so long."

"You are already leaving?" Elmsy let out, disappointed.

"Come on, Elmsy. Don't look like that." Bleach demanded. "I'm not going to disappear again. I just have my own things to do. We're still going to see each other. Some day."

"I know. Sorry." Elmsy spoke, shaking his head and smiling to the girl. "It is just that… For sixteen years, I looked for you and now you are here, you understand?"

"Why don't you give me your cell phone number?" Bleach proposed. "I'm going to buy a phone eventually. When I do, I promise that the first thing I'll do is call you."

Elmsy chuckled and walked back to his desk and sat down. He grabbed a pen and a piece of paper and wrote down his number. Bleach walked to him and observed his movements from over his shoulder.

"Here." Elmsy spoke as he raised the piece of paper for the girl and turned his head to look at her from over his shoulder. "Remember: you promised to call."

Wordlessly, Bleach grabbed the piece of paper and put it in her short's front pocket, never moving her eyes from Elmsy's. A small, sly smirk stretched on the girl's face as she slowly lowered her head, pressing her lips to Elmsy's softly.

"What are you doing?" The man asked.

"What does it look like?"

"Butterfly, I'm-"

"Hot."

He smirked slightly. "Old. I have known you since you were a child."

"No. You've known Arysa when she was a child." Bleach spoke as she moved to sit on Elmsy's lap. "My name is Bleach and I am 20 years old. Nice to meet you."

Elmsy's eyes closed as he felt the girl press her lips to his neck. "I thought that you had made Gon wait enough?"

"I did. And that's why he won't mind waiting a couple more hours."

"Ah…! I guess he will not."

* * *

On the next couple of hours, Bleach tried to fight against the images of Ging that would pop into her mind, while Elmsy did the same with images of Arysa. An Arysa of many a decade ago, that had painted light blue hair and rainbow eyes.

* * *

"Gon-kun, Killua-kun. You will need to master your own styles of Nen as you continue down your chosen paths." Wing spoke. "And, Bleach-kun, the same goes to you, only with an extra warning: be very careful to not get yourself burnt."

Bleach smirked. "I know."

"I'm glad I was able to meet you." Zushi put in. "You set a worthy mark for me to surpass!"

Bleach and Killua exchanged amused smirks.

"So, you think you can beat us, kid?" Bleach asked, ruffling the small boy's hair.

"One day, for sure!"

"It won't happen." Killua stated.

Instead of playing along, Gon opted for encouragement. "I can't wait to see you do it, Zushi!"

"Osu!"

"Well, let's go." Killua spoke. Gon and Bleach nodded.

"Wing-san, thank you for everything!" Gon spoke and waved as the trio proceeded to walk away.

Wing smiled and nodded.

"Take care, you three."

* * *

_A few days later._

"Mito-san!" Gon exclaimed as he ran towards his aunt. "I'm home, Mito-san!"

"Welcome back, Gon." The woman spoke as she hugged the boy.

Some feet away, Killua and Bleach watched the scene.

"Please, tell me I'm not the only one feeling out of place." Bleach whispered to the white haired boy.

Killua smirked. "You're not."

"And you two!" Mito called with a soft smile. Both white-haired younglings raised their heads immediately. "You must be Killua and Bleach, right?"

* * *

"I see…" Killua commented as he examined a small, black box that Ging left to Gon. "So, this is the box. How do you open it?"

* * *

" _ **Yo, Gon."**_

Bleach felt her heart beat faster as she listened to the cassette tape with Gon and Killua. She could recognize that voice anywhere.

_Ging._

" _ **So, you became a Hunter too… Anyway, I have a question for you. Do you want to see me?"**_

Bleach's eyes lit up in excitement and her heart skipped beat.

After more than two years of stand-by, she had a clue about Ging. Sh- no,  _they_ – Gon and her, and even Killua - were moving forwards.

They would find Ging.


	13. YSC: Money Makes The World Go Around

_In a LAN house of York Shin City_

"8.9 billion jenny, huh? This Greed Island game sure is expensive." Bleach breathed out as the trio left the Hunter's website. "How the f- hell are we going to get so much money until the auctions? Together we have only 1.2 billion from Heaven's Arena."

"Ne, can't we participate in the auction?" Gon asked.

"Didn't you hear what she just said?" Killua shot back. "They're starting at 8.9 billion! That's way out of our league."

"No, I mean, by selling stuff."

"Selling?" Killua and Bleach echoed at the same time.

"We can look for treasures and then auction it off." Gon explained.

"Alright!" Killua exclaimed. "We can start with the 12 Billion we have from Heaven's Arena and go from there."

"Yes!" Gon agreed cheerfully.

"Sorry to burst your bubble…" Bleach began with an amused smirk on her lips. "But I bet you guys have no experience in appraising stuff."

Killua crossed his arms over his chest. "Your point being?"

"My point being that you won't be able to recognize the treasures from the junk. You'll be ripped off for sure if you try to do that." The girl explained, enjoying the way Killua fumed at being told he wasn't able to do something. "We better just find another way to get the money."

"What about you, Bleach?" Gon asked with a hopeful smile. "Can you appraise treasures?"

"Me? Well, I do have an eye for valuables, like jewels, rare books and stuff like that, but I'd have to have to see the things live. A picture on the internet wouldn't be enough for me to be certain."

Gon's smile dropped. "I see…"

"Well, we're not you. Right, Gon?" Killua put in with a cocky smile on his face. "I'm sure we can do it."

"Really?" The brunette boy asked.

"Yes! First, we'll start with online flea markets and auction websites. Let's see what we can dig up."

Excited at seeing Killua's confidence, Gon agreed. "Okay!'

Bleach's jaw dropped at what was happening before her. "Are you two fucking stupid?"

"No cursing, Bleach!"

"I just said you'll lose money if you try doing this!" Bleach continued, voice high-pitched in annoyance. "You have no experience with this kind of stuff!"

"We'll manage." Killua said, already logging in an auctions' site.

Bleach felt her anger-o-meter spike dangerously high for a moment; she was about to slam Killua's head on the keyboard. But, she held it in.

"You know what? Do what you want with your money. It's yours anyway; you won it fair and square on Heaven's Arena." Bleach huffed. "But, I'm not taking part of it. And neither are my 400 million jenny! WE are going to eat some ice-cream."

With that, the girl stomped off the cyber-café.

"Fucking brats."

* * *

Later that day, when Bleach found the two boys drinking soda at a fountain with a defeated look on their faces, she grinned widely. She had an ice-cream cone on her hand and a backpack full of stolen goods on her back.

"So…" She began, getting the two boys to turn around to face her. "How poor are you two?"

Ah, how Killua wished that looks could kill; his glare would be enough to turn the girl into dust then. Unfortunately for the boy, he didn't have the Force, so Bleach stood alive and well, with that annoying 'I-fucking-told-you-so' smirk on her face.

"Annoying woman."

* * *

_Next day_

"Do you think that Kurapika and Leorio will show up?" Killua asked as he, Gon and Bleach wandered around York Shin's market.

"They said they'd meet us here. They'll definitely show up." Gon answered.

Bleach listened to the boys talk absent-minded. She was paying more attention to the many stands around her, searching for any item that could be of some value. So far, she had only managed to pocket a silver chain with a small cupid pendant; it wasn't particularly expensive, but the girl had found it pretty cute.

"Hey! You two have to buy a phone!" Killua exclaimed, getting Bleach to turn her gaze to him. "It's standard Hunter gear."

"That's right." The girl said. "Let's go get one then."

* * *

Leorio walked around the market place with attentive eyes, searching for Kurapika, Gon and those two pain-in-the-ass: Killua and Bleach.

Leorio groaned; the first person he spotted had to be that smart-ass girl. Her white hair was hard to miss and she was of a medium height, so it wasn't that hard to spot it among the crowd of people around them. As he walked towards her, Leorio noticed that she was accompanied by Gon and Killua and smiled in relieved; at least Gon wouldn't be calling him old man or annoying him with sarcastic comments.

The trio was checking out some cell phones. As he approached them, Leorio heard the salesman trying to sell a not-so-useful phone to them.

"Don't bother." The sunglasses wearing man spoke from a couple of feet behind them. "That feature doesn't work in many countries, and it isn't even water-proof. That model is for people that don't travel or get themselves in risky situations."

"Leorio!" Gon exclaimed with a happy smile.

Leorio returned the smile. "Yo!"

"Hey, old man." Bleach greeted with a smirk, making Leorio scowl at her. "Hope the trip here wasn't too much for your health."

"You want help in choosing the phones or not?" Leorio asked, glaring at the girl. Widening her amused smirk, Bleach nodded. "Then shut up. Now, I would recommend… this Beetle 07."

Gon and Bleach lowered their eyes to the model. It really was of the shape of a beetle.

"It's a little heavy and pricey, but it includes a translator for all of the languages worldwide.

"Seriously? Go for this one. I'll buy one too!" Killua spoke excitedly.

"Okay!" Gon agreed.

"What about you?" Leorio asked turning to the major pain-in-the-ass.

"I don't know… this thing is ugly." Bleach stated with a frown. "I'll take a look around later to buy my phone."

"Suit yourself." Leorio shrugged off before turning to the salesman. "Two please."

"Very well! It will cost 400.000 jenny."

"400.000?! That's too expensive, pops!" Leorio exclaimed.

As Killua and Gon watched Leorio haggle with the salesman for a better price, Bleach quickly slipped a Beetle 07 that was on the stand's shelf in her backpack. Before anyone could notice it, she was back by the boys' side.

The girl's smirk widened; she loved to go shopping.

* * *

After that, the four of them had one priority: to make money. Lots and lots of money.

As much as it pained Bleach to admit, Leorio came up with a great idea: an arm-wrestling contest. They would stand on the streets and offer people a chance to wrestle with Gon for a price of 10.000 jenny. If they won, they'd receive a 5 million jenny diamond as a reward.

Bleach watched from the side-lines with an amused smirk on her face. No one would beat Gon, of that she was sure.

 _Well, might as well make some money on my own._ The girl thought as she walked to the crowd surrounding Gon.  _Now, whose wallet is the fattest?_

And so, as Gon defeated opponent after opponent, Bleach would occasionally stray from the trio and pick-pocket the boy's audience. She was careful not to choose anyone who might challenge Gon; if they noticed their wallets were missing before they were away, they would be suspicious of the arm-wrestling set-up. The girl went for the ones who were there only for the show and wouldn't notice their wallets missing until they were far away.

Bleach was smirking so much at her profits that she thought her face would freeze that way.

She was proven wrong when a trio of people approached the crowd. Eyes wide, Bleach automatically activated her Zetsu and hid herself in the crowd.

 _There's no doubt, those two are Feitan and Franklin._ Bleach thought, staring at them through narrowed eyes.  _And a girl I've never seen before._

Bleach observed as the girl, black-haired and wearing large glasses, walked away from those two to try her luck against Gon. The boy won, but he had to use his full-strength to do so, Bleach noticed.

The thief watched the trio walk away with suspicious eyes. What were the odds of her finding two people from Meteor City – strong as fuck people form Meteor City at that – alongside another strong as fuck girl out of sheer coincidence?

Zero.

Bleach's contact covered eyes widened for a second.

" _I came here to invite you to be part of something."_

" _You, Feitan, Phinks, Machi, Nobunaga, Shalnark, Pakunoda, Franklin and Ubogin will be oart of it."_

Kuroro had invited those two to be part of something. Maybe that girl was part of it with them? What the fuck  _was_  that something, anyway?

" _He told me that he had information about the Spider. And I do not recall mentioning the Phantom Troupe to Hisoka."_

That's right; the reason Kurapika had decided to come to York Shin City during these auctions was to find out about this  _Phantom Troupe_. Whatever it was…

Bleach's face settled in an ugly scowl as she walked back to Gon. This night, she'd stop by that LAN house again and access the Hunters' website. She needed to know more about this Phantom Troupe.

She had a bad feeling about this.

* * *

_World renowned gang of thieves. A-Class Bountiy organization._

_Most of the members hail from_ _Meteor City_ _._

_Their members have a numbered tattoo of a spider on their body._

_Thieves._

_Meteor City._

_Spider._

It didn't take a genius to put two and two together.

"Kuroro, you crazy bastard." Bleach breathed outv as she made her way back to the hotel room. It was past midnight already so the streets were empty. "I knew you'd do something big but that is just… wow."

Bleach just didn't know why Kurapika was so dead-set on running to his death. Because, as Bleach saw it, there was only one reason for someone to go after people like Feitan and Phinks: suicide. Oh well, she'd ask Gon, Killua and Leorio. Eventually.

Talking about eventually…

"Ah, crap!" The girl exclaimed, slamming her palm on her forehead. "I forgot to call Elmsy!"

* * *

Ring-ring

Ring-ring

Ring-ring

"Hello…?"

" _Hey Elmsy!"_

"…Who's this?" The man asked as he sat up on the bed and glanced at his clock.

" _It's Bleach. I'm just calling to let you know that I bought a cell, as I promised."_

Elmsy face-palmed.

"Butterfly, I don't know where in the world you are, but here in the Celestial Tower, it's 23:37 PM."

" _Are you busy?"_

"…I was asleep."

" _That early? Really? Well, sorry about waking you then. Anyway, just write down my number and I'll leave you alone."_

"The number records itself on my phone."

" _Ah, okay then. Sorry again. Good night!"_

Tut-tut-tut…

Letting out a very exasperated sigh, Elmsy laid back down on the bed. He loved Arysa with all his heart, but damn, the girl could be dense when she wanted to.

* * *

On the following day, as Leorio predicted, Gon was invited to take part in some sort of underground arm-wrestling tournament. However, before the boy could begin competing, a weird-looking she-male appeared to make an announcement.

"Sorry, but the arm-wrestling is cancelled! We'll be doing some conditional auctioning now! To win, you must play hide-and-seek! We'll start by passing flyers."

Eyebrows furrowed in confusion, Bleach received a flyer. The thief's eyes doubled their size at what she saw. In the flyer, there were photos of Ubogin, that glasses wearing black-haired girl from the night before, Shalnark, Feitan, Machi, Franklin and Nobunaga.

"Those seven people are your targets! In order to win the bid, you must capture and deliver a target to us! For each target brought in, you'll receive a nice sum of 2 billion jenny!"

Bleach lowered her gaze to Killua. The boy's eyes had an analytical glint in them; the wheels were already turning in his head. Then, she returned her gaze to the piece of paper in her hands. Feitan's cold eyes sent a shiver down her spine.

"Oh, fuck…"

Ring-ring

Ring-ring

"Ne, Bleach." Gon called, snapping the girl's attention from the pamphlet. "Your cell phone is ringing."

"Ah! Thanks, Gon." Bleach spoke, retrieving the electronic from her short's pocket. "I'm going to step outside to answer this. See you guys there."

Killua watched Bleach walk away; head tilted to the side.  _When did she get a phone like Gon's and mine?_

"Hello?"

" _Arysa! Thank god! You're alright!"_

"...Why wouldn't I be?"

" _What do you mean? Did you not hear? An underground auction was attacked last night. All of the bidders and items are missing."_

Bleach narrowed her eyes. "The Phantom Troupe?"

" _Yes. Gods, I was so worried that you would be there. Butterfly, please, promise me you will stay out of their way."_

"I can promise that I'll do everything in my power not to cross ways with them. But I have to get Eglo's bow, you know."

" _I will get it for you. Just… stay away from them."_

Bleach couldn't help but smile softly. Elmsy was too sweet for his own good.

"Don't worry, Elmsy. Eglo's bow won't be auctioned for a couple of days still. By then, I'm going to have figured out a way to get it without anyone knowing. I'm very good at it."

" _Butterfly…"_

"I mean it! Relax, alright?"

" _As if I could. You let me know when you will go for Eglo's bow, alright? I want to be there to make sure you will get out alive and well."_

Bleach frowned. Sure, Elmsy would be a great help  _ **IF**_ the Phantom Troupe got their hands on her. However, she would make sure that wouldn't happen. Also, Bleach worked better alone. But, she knew Elmsy wouldn't take 'no' for an answer. There was just one way around this: lie through her teeth.

"Of course I'll let you know, Elmsy. Having you to help me is going to be great! Anything else you'd like to say?"

" _Yes. When will you retrieve Runvle's mirror?"_

"Hmm… Haven't thought about it yet. Why?"

" _The owner wants to sell it. He and I are… acquaintances, and he knew I was interested in it, so he made me an especial offer. I want to know if you would like me to buy it for you.'_

"How much?"

" _2 billion jenny."_

"WHAT THE FUCK?! I can't afford this!"

" _You do not have to. I just offered to buy it for you."_

An ugly scowl marred Bleach's features. "No; I can get my things on my own."

" _Well, you should hurry, then. He said he had another buyer in line and that he needed my answer by the day after tomorrow."_

Bleach bit her bottom lip.

"…  _Are you sure you do not want me to buy it? Really, I have money to spare, Butterfly."_

"I'm sure. I'll get it tomorrow."

" _Alright then. Keep in touch so I do not get too worried, alright?"_

"…Elmsy."

" _Yes?"_

"Thank you. Really."

Bleach could almost hear the smile in the man's voice.  _"No worries, Butterfly. Take care."_

"You too. Bye, bye."

Bleach had just pocketed her phone when Gon, Killua and Leorio walked out of the building to return to the hotel.

As the four Hunters walked back to their hotel, Killua, Leorio and Gon talked about the seven people they were after.

"I heard that the underground auction was attacked last night." Killua commented.

"Was it them?" Leorio asked. "Is that why they have a bounty on their heads?"

"Yep. They must be nuts to steal from the Mafia." Killua answered. "And we already know who'd be crazy enough for that."

Leorio and Gon halted their steps and turned serious eyes to Killua. "The Phantom Troupe!"

Bleach tensed.

"That's right…" Gon began a few moments later. "Where is Kurapika?"

"Yeah, he should be in the city. But, he hasn't made contact yet." Killua said.

Gon was worried. "I'll call him."

Ring-ring

Ring-ring

Ring-ring

Ring-ring

Ring-ring

…

"He isn't answering."

"Maybe he's working?" Leorio offered.

"Working?" Gon, Killua and Bleach echoed.

"I heard that he's been working as a bodyguard. Probably for some VIP from the underworld. He's trying to track the Scarlet Eyes, so it must be someone from the underworld."

Bleach's eyes widened as another fragment of her research came to mind.  _Kuruta Massacre. Scarlet Eyes._

"Kurapika is a Kuruta?" The girl asked.

"Oh, that's right, we forgot to tell you." Killua spoke. "Yeah, he is. His clan was-"

"-Massacred 5 years ago; I know. I did some research about the Phantom Troupe last night." Bleach cut in. "So that's why he's running to his death."

"Che! Kurapika isn't running to his death." Leorio defended. "As a matter of fact, it's possible that he has already captured two or three of the Phantom Troupe's members!"

"No. He's running to his death." Bleach spoke serious. "He should just find the Scarlet Eyes and leave the Troupe be. Fighting against them and committing suicide are pretty much the same thing."

"And how do you know that?!" Leorio snapped defensively.

"Yes, how  _do_  you?" Killua asked too, though much more serious. "You've been awfully quiet since they handed us those pamphlets. You're keeping something from us, aren't you?"

Bleach narrowed her eyes at the ground as those three stared at her. Killua's eyes were probing and analytical, while Gon and Leorio's were wide and confused.

"Yes." The girl admitted at last. "The truth is… I know some of the members of the Phantom Troupe."

"WHAT?!" Leorio exclaimed, grabbing Bleach by the front of her shirt. "And when did you expect to tell us?!"

"I didn't know who they were until last night, old man." Bleach spat, slapping the man's hands away from her. "Now, calm the fuck down. I'll explain everything."

* * *

_A couple of hours later, in Gon and Killua's room._

"I see." Leorio spoke as he removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes tiredly. "So, you're from Meteor City, as well?"

"Yes. But I haven't heard of anyone from there since I left the place." Bleach spoke, arms crossed over her chest. The girl had told them about her relationship with the Spiders, except that she had been invited to join them. "I didn't know those guys were part of the Phantom Troupe. Only after I saw Feitan and Franklin on the streets last night and did some research about the Troupe, did I put two and two together."

"Ugh… Sorry for earlier." Leorio said, rubbing his neck awkwardly. "Shouldn't have been rough like that to you."

Bleach blinked. She wasn't expecting that.

"It's… alright." The girl spoke at last. "Anyway, I think we should just let them be. Believe me when I say; they're too strong for us."

Gon was about to protest, but Killua beat him to it.

"Are you sure they're too much for us?"

"Yes."

The former assassin sighed. "Then, there's no way."

Bleach's eyes widened in surprise; that was easy. Even Gon and Leorio gave Killua strange looks.

Bleach bit her lip.  _Too easy._

* * *

At midnight, long after Bleach and Leorio had retired to their respective rooms, Killua called the man.

"Ngh… Wadaywan (What do you want)?"

"Leorio, come to our room now. We need to talk."

* * *

_A couple of minutes later._

"What's up with all that? Calling me in the middle of the night and ordering me around… And I was having such a nice dream." Leorio complained as he entered the boys' room. Only Gon and Killua were there. "Where's Bleach?"

"This is between the three of us." Killua spoke in a whisper. "She can't know what we're about to discuss here."

Leorio furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, but nodded his head nonetheless.

Gon and Killua exchanged a look.

"Killua and I are going after the Phantom Troupe." Gon spoke.

"What? But Bleach said they were too strong!"

"Bleach's opinion on them is based off when she was a child and we all know that, at a young age, people tend to see things bigger than they truly are." Killua explained.

"You believe that the Phantom Troupe's members aren't as strong as she believes them to be." Leorio concluded.

Killua nodded. "Yes."

"We're not saying they aren't strong." Gon added. "But, if we manage to get one of them alone, I think we have a shot at taking them down."

"And we're going to need your help." Killua spoke. "Tomorrow, while we're out with Bleach, we want you to check the internet for any sort of information about the Spiders' whereabouts. When you find a clue, give us a call."

Serious, Leorio nodded his head.

* * *

On the next day, Gon pawned his Hunter's license and bought the catalogue of the Southernbee's auction so he could participate in it.

As he walked back to the hotel with Killua and Bleach, Gon spotted a Ben's knife on one of the stands and commented that it had caught his eye because it had some Aura in it. Going from that, the trio decided to use Gyo to buy treasures and sell them afterwards. Naturally, the girl managed to get some side-profit, as well; really, people should pay more attention to their wallets and jewellery.

* * *

"So, ultimately, we won three treasures and lost one." Killua commented as they walked away from the market.

"Yes, that Zeppelin guy got the weird pot." Bleach said.

Killua sighed. "It's Zepile."

* * *

The trio tried to put their treasure on an auction house, but it wasn't taking any more items to sell since its catalogue had already been printed. From there, they were directed to a trade market.

The store's owner was telling the kids about their items' prices. The man said they had done well with a doll and a painting, but the wooden statue wasn't worth much.

"Let me just check this wood's age." The owner spoke.

He was about to walk into the store's backroom with the statue in hand when another man, with weird eyebrows and large sideburns, walked in.

"Wait! Put down that statue."

* * *

As it turns out, the man with the weird eyebrows – the one and only Zepile – accused the store's owner of trying to scam the trio. And he was right in doing so; the statue was filled with gold and gem stones.

"Thank you, Zepile-san." Gon spoke brightly as the party walked to another store to sell their treasures.

"You don't have to thank me. Consider it a give and take." Bleach narrowed her eyes at the man, understanding that he was about to demand a percentage of their profits. If he dared to ask for more than 30%... "20% sounds fair, don't you think?"

Bleach blinked. The man wasn't a rip off?

To Bleach's even greater surprise, after Killua complained about the 20% fee, Zepile gave up his share for a lunch.

* * *

During lunch, they talked about Nen, appraising and copy techniques, about Gon's goals and Zepelin's past, when he made counterfeits.

The four of them left the restaurant. Gon and Killua were a few steps ahead, chatting excitedly, while Bleach and Zepile lagged a little behind.

"I'm happy we got ourselves an appraiser such as yourself, Zepile." Bleach commented in a whisper, encircling the man's neck with her arm and pulling his head down to her level.

"What do you mean?" The man whispered back, eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

Bleach grinned and handed the man two pictures; one of a blue long bow, the other of an orange-ish mirror.

"What's that?"

"I want these items counterfeited, and quickly. The mirror's counterfeit must be ready by tonight and the long bow's by the day after tomorrow." The girl explained. "I'm willing to pay 100 million jenny for both of the counterfeits. 150 million if they both are ready by tonight."

Zepile's eyes widened. "What do you need these for?"

"Personal matters." Bleach spoke, smiling sweetly. "I know your copy-cat days are over, but do you think you could manage these two? Please? As a personal favour? I promise nothing bad is going to happen to you."

After some seconds of contemplating, Zepile nodded.

"Ne, Bleach!" Gon called.

Smiling, the girl released Zepile's neck and turned her head to Gon. "Yes?"

"Killua and I wanted to drop by a toy store nearby. Could take care of the treasures' sales for us, please? Thank you!"

Before she could respond, the boys dropped the treasures on the floor and ran off. Bleach narrowed her eyes in suspicion.

"What about the sales?" Zepile yelled after them, pointing to the treasures.

"We'll leave that to you!" Gon spoke, throwing a bright smile over his shoulder.

"Get us a good price." Killua put in.

When the boys were out of sight, Bleach activated Zetsu and turned to the man.

"Zepile, I need to go as well. We're counting on you."

Then, she ran off.

Zepile was stunned for a moment, before a big smile stretched on his lips.

"I got it covered!"

* * *

Bleach followed the boys from a distance, watching them with narrowed eyes.

_You fucking shitheads._


	14. YSC: In the Spider's Nest

Instead of going to a toy store as they said they would, Gon and Killua went to meet Leorio in a café close to a small plaza. The brunette man had received a video showing Machi and Nobunaga drinking a beer at that plaza and, sure enough, there they were.

"They're moving. We have to do something." Killua spoke after swallowing the last mouthful of his milkshake. "But we can't beat them."

"We'll find a way…" Leorio said. "We have to."

"Yeah." Gon agreed, serious. "We can't go home empty-handed."

"Okay." The former assassin said. "Then, listen carefully. Gon and I will tail them. We absolutely cannot let them spot us. Let's use Zetsu. Gon, I need you to promise me two things: if they see us, we scape immediately, and, if I judge that further pursuit is impossible for any other reason, we give up."

"Okay."

"The signal to give up is one phone call. Make sure your phone is on vibrate."

* * *

Gon and Killua followed the two spiders through York Shin's streets without a problem. Even when their targets stopped walking in the middle of an abandoned area of the city, Killua was certain they had done a perfect job. They might have noticed they were being followed, but they didn't know where their pursuers were.

The boys had split up and were now observing Machi and Nobunaga from the second store of opposite buildings.

Still as statues, they watched as Nobunaga answered his phone.

Killua narrowed his eyes.  _Something's off._

Out of the blue, Nobunaga raised his eyes. Directly to Gon's location.

_Run!_

The boys tried to flee, but they found their exit blocked by two other Spiders: Phinks and Pakunoda. Machi and Nobunaga were quick to jump up the window and help seize them.

 _There's no way around this._ Killua thought, observing Phinks and Nobunaga.  _I'll have to surrender._

* * *

"Boy, your friend surrendered." Pakunoda told Gon. "I suggest you do the same."

* * *

From a third building, Bleach watched as Nobunaga and Phinks walked out from the first building with Killua, while Pakunoda and Machi pushed Gon out of the second.

The girl was so angry that she almost let her Aura spike up.  _Fucking idiots. When all of this is over, I'm going to chew them off so bad, theirs ears will fucking bleed! But, first, I have to arrange their escape._

Bleach had no hopes of defeating any of the four Spiders, but maybe, just maybe, with a little ( _a shitload lot)_ of luck, she could use Foog's Dance of Fire to distract them enough time for Gon and Killua to make a run for it. Her chances of succeeding were very slim – after all, she was against four Spiders – but she would not leave those two kids alone now. She was not  _that_  selfish.

If worse came to worst, Bleach doubted they'd kill her. She had known them all when she lived in Meteor City. Also, she was quite on good terms with Kuroro, Shalnark, Nobunaga and Ubogin back then. And Pakunoda too, she guessed. She and the older woman never talked much, but she had always helped Bleach out when she needed a more  _feminine_  input in the matters of life.

Taking a deep breath, Bleach inactivated her Zetsu to summon Foog's chakrams.

* * *

Nobunaga noticed that the white haired brat was walking slower on purpose and gave him a push with his sheathed sword.

"Pick up the pa-"

The samurai's eyes widened, along with everyone else's. Another Nen user had just appeared close to them, but, a moment after they released their Aura, they concealed it with Zetsu once again. Automatically, the Spiders turned around to locate the person with their sight but, before they could lock their gazes on him/her, two balls of fire flew towards them, side by side. They noticed the balls were actually two chakrams covered in flames.

The chakrams went straight towards the Spiders, making they all move to dodge them.

Killua and Gon didn't waste a second; they ran for it.

Machi didn't waste a millisecond; before the boys took their second step, she threw two of her Nen needles at them and made her threads encircle the boys' bodies before pulling them to herself. But, before the boys got close to the Spider, one of the chakrams passed in front of her, cutting her threads and setting the boys free again.

Machi narrowed her eyes and jumped after Gon with one of the chakrams on her tail. "Nobunaga, go after the white-haired one. I'll get the brunette."

The samurai quickly went after Killua, while the other chakram went after him.

However, before any of the chakrams reached their targets, they disappeared, allowing the Spiders to catch the boys easily.

* * *

On the other side, Phinks and Pakunoda focused on finding the newcomer. This Nen user was somewhat skilled, Pakunoda concluded; being able to use those chakrams while keeping themselves hidden with Zetsu was no small feat – she wouldn't think so if she knew that the chakrams had a will of their own and weren't being controlled. Also, he/she was very light on the feet and moved without making a sound.

Still, Pakunoda was  _the_ sniper. Her eyes were able to find a needle in a haystack in less than a second, so it wasn't that hard for the blonde to catch a blur of white moving in the shadows. Pakunoda didn't think twice before raising her gun and shooting her target.

"FUCK!"

Bulls eye.

With a disturbingly sadistic smirk on his lips, Phinks ran to the direction the scream had come from.

* * *

"FUCK!"

Bleach felt a sharp pain on her left shoulder and felt to her knees. It was just of a second though; as soon as her left knee scrapped the ground, she scurried back to her feet.

Well, she tried to.

Phinks' foot descending roughly on her head kept her on the ground. The girl didn't have time to reinforce the Ten around her head so the pain she felt was huge; big enough to make her pass out for a split of a second and let her chakrams disappear. When she came to, she couldn't breath.

"YU FKIN SUN OVA BTCH! I CAN BRATH!"

Phinks' smirk widened as he heard the girl yell through a mouthful of rocks and he pressed his foot harder on her head.

"Stop, Phinks." Pakunoda spoke. "The chakrams have disappeared already."

"So what?"

"So what we can't kill her. We need to ask her about the Chain User first. Let's take her back to the hideout with us, along with the boys."

Phinks scowled, but raised his foot nonetheless. The girl pushed her body up with her arms and took a full mouth of air in her lungs.

"Fuck, Phinks!" Bleach complained, glaring daggers at the blonde man. "You're still a brute."

Phinks and Pakunoda looked down at the girl's disfigured face with a confused expression.

"How do you know my name?"

An indigo light made both spiders lower their gazes at the pendant that was around the girl's neck. Then, they noticed that her wounds started to heal at an unnaturally rapid speed.

Even though the girl's face was no longer marred by the assault that Phinks' foot provoked on it, they still didn't recognize her.

"…"

"… Who are you?"

Bleach rolled her eyes and tore one of the sleeves from her turtleneck. She put said sleeve around her eyes, like a blindfold.

"Bleach?" Pakunoda asked.

"Blindy?!"

Bleach glared at Phinks. "I hate you."

* * *

"Nobunaga, Machi, you grabbed the boys, huh?" Phinks asked/stated as he walked out of a run-down building with Pakunoda besides him and Bleach behind.

"It was easy." The pink-haired girl, who had a painful grip on Gon's shoulder, spoke. "And who was the third one?"

With a smirk on his lips, Phinks took a step to the side and pushed Bleach forwards. The girl almost tripped and fell to the ground.

"Brute." Bleach spat, glaring at Phinks from over her shoulder. Then, she turned her head to look at Machi and Nobunaga. "Hey, there."

Machi furrowed her eyebrows; something about this girl was familiar but she couldn't quite place it. Nobunaga, on the other hand, recognized the girl almost immediately.

"No way! I can't believe you're still alive, kid!" The samurai spoke, giving the girl a smile.

Bleach responded with a smirk. "Only the good die young."

Gon and Killua exchanged confused glances. Just how close Bleach was to the Spiders?

* * *

They all entered a car. Nobunaga driving, Machi on the passenger's seat and the rest squeezed in the back seat, where, even with Gon sitting on Bleach's lap, the space was too tight.

"Why the fuck do I have to squeeze myself here with these brats?!" Phinks, who was pressed against the window, demanded of Machi. "You're much smaller than me! You should be here on the backseat and me on the front!"

"It's only natural for a gentleman to allow the lady the more comfortable seat." Machi spoke, not even turning around.

"And who's the lady here?!" Bleach and Gon, who were beside Phinks, cringed at the man's loud voice.

"Anyway, kid." Pakunoda heaved a sigh, laying her arm around Killua's shoulders. "Any guesses about the Chain User?"

Not thinking much of Pakunoda's question, Bleach looked out of the window with glazed eyes. She had to find a way to run from them by nightfall, at latest. Tonight was the night she was going to break in the Ten Dons' house and steal Runvle's mirror.

* * *

They drove to yet another run-down building.

Arm wrapped around Bleach's shoulders, Nobunaga led her into it, talking excitedly to her. Bleach had an amused smirk on her lips as she listened to the samurai; Nobu had always been one of her favourites in Meteor City. Machi walked besides them quietly, while Gon and Killua walked right behind Bleach, as close as they could get without stepping on her feet. Phinks and Pakunoda walked behind them, watching their every move.

"Here's our base." Nobu announced as he walked Bleach in front of everyone. "Guys! Look who we found!"

As she received a bunch of blank stares from the people around the room, Bleach couldn't help but face-palm.

"Nobu, it has been almost ten years. I doubt anyone-"

"No way!" Shalnark exclaimed, pulling Bleach's hand from her face. "Bleach!"

The girl smiled at the blonde. She liked Shal as well; he was the closest to her age in Meteor City so they would play around together from time to time.

"Hey, Shal."

Shalnark gave the girl a warm hug as Franklin and Feitan approached them.

"It  _is_  Bleach. Didn't recognize you without the blindfold." Franklin said, laying one of his large hands on the top of the girl's head. "Never imagine I'd see you again."

"Blindy lives." Feitan spoke in his cold voice that sent shivers running down Bleach's spine. "You grown up, brat."

Bleach turned her head to Feitan's direction. Then, she had to lower her gaze to take in his appearance.

"Yeah, and you…" Sadly for him, he hadn't grown. At all. "…changed your outfit."

Feitan's eyes narrowed, making Bleach fear for her life. Really, he and Phinks had always given her the creeps.

"Hahaha! You're still funny, Bleach!" Shalnark spoke; encircling Bleach's shoulders with one of his arms, much like Nobunaga had done a few minutes before. "Danchou will be happy to know that!"

"Danchou?" Bleach echoed with a sly smirk on her lips. "You guys are calling Kuroro Danchou now? Hahaha, that's rich! Where is he anyway? And Ubo! I'm sure Ubo didn't take to that easily! Where is he?"

That question was a wrong one. As soon as the question left Bleach's lips, the room grew colder and so did everyone's eyes, except Hisoka's.  _Wait a fucking minute! What's HISOKA doing here? And what's up with everyone?_

"Shal…" Bleach called, no longer smirking. "Ubo did leave Meteor City with you, didn't he?"

"He did."

"Where is he?"

Nobunaga was the one who answered her. "Ubo is dead."

Bleach's eyes widened.

* * *

_Years ago, in the wastes of Meteor City, three boys were kicking a little girl on the ground._

" _That'll teach you not to steal in our area anymore!"_

" _Yeah! You bitch! You should start begging us not to kill you here and now!"_

" _Yeah! Beg!"_

" _WHAT'S GOING ON?"_

_The boys halted their movements at hearing the strong voice and raised their heads, finding an even stronger man staring down at them with a predatory smile on his lips. The children wasted no time:_

" _Ahhhhh! Run!"_

" _Che. Weaklings." The huge man spat, lowering his gaze to the little girl sprawled on the ground. "Can't believe you were getting beat by those little shits, kid."_

_The girl sat up slowly, flinching at the pain. The man noticed she was wearing a blindfold._

" _Shut up…" She mumbled._

" _What?"_

_She whipped her head in his direction, glaring at him through her blindfold. "I said, shut up! Before I cut that ridiculous afro of yours! I don't need your fucking pity!"_

_The man grinned. "Pity? Ha! You won't get any of that from me, kid."_

" _Then… why the fuck did you help me?"_

_The man shrugged. "Would you rather I let them beat you some more?"_

" _No." The girl spoke, shaking her head. "But I would've managed! I'm not weak!"_

_The man turned around to walk away. "Yes, you are."_

_Then, he felt something grab his left his leg and looked down. The little girl had tackled his leg and encircled it with her skinny arms and legs, holding herself in place. He could see angry tears streaking down her bruised face._

" _I ain't fucking weak!"_

_Then, to the man's surprise, she bit on his flesh with gusto._

_The man watched as blood poured out from his leg into the girl's mouth and smiled. The bite gave him little to no pain, but the girl's spunk made him deeply amused._

" _You are weak." The man repeated, raising the girl by the back of her shirt as if she weighted as much as a feather. She actually tried to scratch at his face. "But, you keep up this attitude, and you won't be anymore."_

_The girl scowled and turned her head to the side. "Whatever."_

" _What's your name, kid?"_

" _You tell me yours first!"_

_The man's smile widened. "Ubogin."_

" _Ubo…gin. Well, I don't know my name, but people call me Bleach."_

* * *

"Ubo's…"

* * *

" _Ubo!" Bleach called as she ran up to the man, who was doing push-ups on the sandy ground, with a bag full of bread in her arms. "Look what I stole!"_

_Ubogin stopped what he was doing to sit up and smile at the girl. "Damn, kid! You're getting good."_

_Bleach gave him a smile and opened the bag to him, offering some of her food._

" _Kid, look at your skinny legs and look at mine! Eat up; you need it more than me."_

_The little girl frowned. "But…I can't eat all of this shit. And it's old already. If we don't eat now, it'll go bad."_

_Letting out a laugh, Ubogin petted the girl's head and took a piece of bread from the bag. Smiling, Bleach sat down beside the man and started eating as well._

* * *

"…dead?"

* * *

" _Go, Ubo!" Bleach cheered. "Kick his ass!"_

" _What the hell, Bleach!" Nobunaga complained as he dodged one of Ubogin's punches. "Why aren't you cheering for me?!"_

_Bleach smirked at the samurai. "Ubo promised to teach me his Big Bang Impact if I cheered for him!"_

" _That's not something you can learn, girl! You're too weak for that! And you don't even know Ne-"_

_Too busy scolding Bleach, Nobunaga wasn't able to dodge other of Ubogin's punches and was sent flying away from the girl. Smiling in satisfaction, Ubogin crossed his arms over his chest._

" _Focus on the fight, Nobu!" Then, the large man winked at Bleach. "Don't listen to him, kid! One day, you're going to be as strong as me!"_

* * *

With his thumb, Shalnark whipped out a tear that was streaking down Bleach's cheek, snapping her out of her thoughts and back into reality. Eyes wide and confused, the girl stared at Shalnark. Smiling softly, the blonde raised his thumb to her eye-level, showing her the single tear-drop on it.

"I'm… crying?"

Bleach quickly rubbed her eyes with the back of her hands. Sure enough, they came out moisten by tears.

"It's alright, Bleach." Shal reassured, giving her shoulders a friendly squeeze.

Wordlessly, Bleach nodded her head before turning her gaze to Nobu. As expected, the samurai was shaken up by Ubo's death; they had always been close and Bleach didn't expect that to change after years of working together.

What Bleach didn't understand was why  _she_  was so shaken by the news. She and Ubo hadn't seen each other for years; the man hadn't even crossed her mind until now.

_Still, he was a friend, or the closest thing to it I'm able to get._

Bleach had seen many people die before and even killed a couple herself, but... never a friend, never someone who she had liked and cared about once. Ubo was the first friend she had ever lost.

And it fucking  _hurt._

"Well, let's not get so down!" Shal began, trying to lift up the mood of the place. "Ubo wouldn't want us to welcome Bleach here like that, would he?"

"No, he'd want fight her." Feitan put in.

"That's true." Nobunaga spoke with a small smile tugging on his lips. That made the whole atmosphere lighten up. "He'd jump at the first chance of fighting her."

"Yes." Machi agreed, giving Bleach a small smirk. "In Meteor City, he used to say you'd become his sparring partner one day."

Bleach smirked and raised her left arm, the one whose sleeve was tore out, to show off her muscles. Or, lack thereof.

"As you can see, I'm close to his level!"

* * *

_How the fuck did we go from Gon arm-wrestling with Nobu to being locked in a dark room?_

That was the only thing Bleach could think as she sat down close to Gon and Killua, in the same room as Nobunaga. The room was small, falling to pieces and illuminated only by four little candles that were around the samurai.

"Nobu, I really like you, but I swear to whatever divinity that's up high or down below that, if you don't let me leave now, I'm going to give you  _hell_!"

"Your complaining is already doing the trick, kid." The samurai commented with a smirk.

"I'm serious, damn it!" Bleach whined, glaring at the samurai. "I have something to do tonight! And it can't be postponed! And don't call me kid!"

"And what's that you have to do?"

For a moment, Bleach considered explaining her situation to the samurai. Maybe, if she told Nobu that she had an item to steal and that her deadline was tonight, he'd let her go. However, when the girl's eyes landed on the two boys sitting close to her, she decided not to say a thing; they – or Gon, at the very least - didn't know she still was a thief and she wanted to keep it that way. She didn't want Gon not to like her.

Bleach crossed her arms over her chest and turned her head to the side. "None of your business!"

"Ohhh! You have something to steal, don't you?"

Bleach's jaw tightened as she felt Gon and Killua's wide eyes glued on her.

"I got it right, didn't I? You know, you've always become defensive when you were planning to steal something you wanted really bad. Like that time, when a store in Meteor City received a lot of candy boxes to sell. You stole the whole lot of them in secret just so you didn't have to share with anyone!"

"Shut up! I did share with you all in the end!" Bleach protested, cheeks heating up in embarrassment. "Even with Phinks and Feitan! Tsk, bastards never thanked me for that candy…"

"Hahaha! True; deep down, you're a big softy.-"

"I knew it!" Killua exclaimed, earning a glare from Bleach.

"-Still, you're not going anywhere until Danchou arrives." Nobunaga continued. "He'll be very happy to have you joining us, you know? After all, you were intended to be one of our original members."

Gon and Killua's eyes widened even more at that revelation and Bleach visibly flinched. She hadn't told about them that she had been given an offer – and had intended to accept said offer – to join the Phantom Troupe; she had only revealed that she knew its founding members while she lived in Meteor City.

"Whatever. It's not like I want to join you guys now."

Nobunaga raised an eyebrow at her. "Why's that? You love stealing."

"Yes." Bleach admitted with a sigh. "But I don't want to have to kill people to do it. It's not my style."

"No matter. I still want you and that black-haired boy to join us." Nobunaga settled. "You're staying here and that's final."

After that, the four of them settled in a tense silence.

Bleach let out an anxious sigh. She'd have to manage to run away from Nobunaga, find Zepile to get the counterfeit from him, and run/swim to the home of one of the Ten Dons to steal Runvle's mirror. Oh! Right, she still had to chew off Gon and Killua for going after the Troupe, as well.

All in this one night.

"Killua, what are you doing?" Gon asked.

Bleach turned her gaze to the white-haired boy, who was on his feet and staring at Nobunaga as if the samurai was death itself or, even worse: his eldest brother.  _Now Killua is acting strange as fuck! Great! Just the cherry on the top of the fucking cake!"_

Bleach groaned. She was  _fucked._

* * *

"Side-stepping! You're a genius, Gon!" Bleach complimented as she and the two boys ran away from the old building in which they had been locked in.

"Hahaha! It was nothing!" The boy spoke, scratching the back of his head, his cheeks tinted pink. Then, he was serious. "Bleach, about what Nobunaga said…"

The girl lowered her eyes to the ground.

"It was all true, Gon." Both boys' eyes widened at the way the girl spoke; her voice was full of shame. "I'm a thief. I've been a thief as far as I can remember. The only reason I didn't join the Troupe was because the Mafia kidnapped me so I could steal for them. Then, I ran away from the Mafia – I  _killed_ someone to get away - and went back to stealing for survival. Until… until your father found me, Gon."

Bleach raised her eyes to the brunette boy and Gon's eyes widened. The boy had finally understood Bleach's true motivation to finding his father. She didn't want to "kick his ass", as she so vehemently claimed. She was in love with Ging.

"Ging took me out of that life. He took care of me and taught me about the basis of Nen. But, even though he did all of that for me, I… I never stopped stealing for long, Gon. How do you think I got the new cell phone without you two knowing about it? I stole it. I can't help myself. I just…I see something I want and I take it."

"...I'm sorry, Gon, Killua."

Bleach shut her eyes. There, she had said it. Now, all she had to do was wait for the boys to express their disappointment with her and leave once and for all.

"Sorry? What for?" Gon asked innocently, making Bleach raise her wide eyes to him. "You've never hurt anyone, have you Bleach?"

"I-I killed a man, Gon! I killed Cressar!"

"You killed him to run away from the Mafia, who had kidnapped you and forced you to do things you didn't want to. I don't believe you were wrong in doing that. And I don't care if you pickpocket wallets and products from stores!" Gon smiled brightly at the girl. "You're my friend and I trust you, Bleach! I know you will never steal from me!"

"Gon…"

"You stole some things, so what?" Killua put in. "I killed lots of people in the past and Gon still accepted me.  _You_  still accepted me, Bleach."

"Killua…"

"We're friends." The former assassin said at last. "That's not changing anytime soon."

Bleach couldn't help but smile – really  _smile,_  not smirk or anything - softly at the two boys.

"Thank you."

Then, her soft smile dropped and her Aura darkened. Both boys gulped in fear.  _What the-?_

"Now that's settled, before I leave for my job, I have some things to talk to you two about. Things that I've been holding back since I found you two stalking Machi and Nobu…"

Bleach's hands reached for one ear of each boy. Gon and Killua exchanged a scared glance. Maybe, they should've stayed with Nobunaga…

"WHAT THE FUCK WERE YOU SHITHEADS THINKING?! I TOLD YOU THE TROUPE WAS FUCKING DANGEROUS! I TOLD YOU NOT TO MESS WITH THEM! BUT, DID YOU LISTEN TO ME?! NOOOOO! WE KNOW BETTER! OUR SHITTY, LONG 13 YEARS OF LIFE GAVE US SO MUCH MORE EXPERIENCE THAN BLEACH'S 20 YEARS COULD EVER GIVE HER! DID YOU SEE WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED? DID YOU?! THAT'S WHAT YOU-"

Yep. They should've stayed with Nobunaga.


	15. Mirror

After running away from Nobunaga with Gon and Killua, Bleach found Zepile, who was drinking his way into a coma with Leorio, in the boys' hotel room. Ignoring the sudden thirst she felt, Bleach walked up to the appraiser.

"You have it?"

The man stared at Bleach for some moments, as if trying to figure out who she was.

"Oh!" The man's eyes lit up. "Yes, y-yes. The mirror is in m-my bag… Let me j-just…"

"I'll get it." Bleach put in, already raising the man's bag to her eyes.

From it, she retrieved the mirro's counterfeit and analysed it for some moments. Finally, with a satisfied nod, Bleach walked out of the boys' room to prepare herself to break in the Ten Dons' meeting place without another word.

To the guys in the room, Bleach seemed to be in a bad mood, but, truth was, she just wanted to get away from the sweet smell of alcohol that seemed to be impregnated in the place.

Bleach could swear the drink was  _calling_ to her.

* * *

As she crawled out of the sea and onto the small island, Bleach removed her diving mask, but decided to keep wearing the skin-tight, full-body black divers' suit; her backpack was on her shoulders, inside a waterproof bag. It was raining hard, so it would be best if she removed the suit as soon she entered the mansion, but not a moment before; this way, she'd keep her clothes dry and wet a minimal area of the place's inside.

Zetsu activated, Bleach crawled through the bushes, approaching the mansion silently. The place was heavily guarded, something that made the girl scowl.

Pushing that concern to the back of her mind, Bleach raised her eyes to the second floor. Many windows were illuminated and, therefore, their rooms were occupied. However, on the other side of the building, Bleach noticed that a particularly large window seemed to be dark. Silently, the thief circled the mansion until she was face-to-face with that window. A big smirk broke on the girl's face. Not only the window was large and unlit, it was actually the door of a veranda.

That was her way in.

Silently as a shadow, Bleach climbed up a tree and jumped on the balcony. No guard noticed her.

The girl glued herself on the window, exanimating it thoroughly; as expected, it had an alarm, but it was off. Well, Bleach didn't honestly see anything wrong with that; there were people in the house and the place was as guarded as a top-rank prison cell, after all. Only paranoids like the Zoldyck would keep an alarm on in such a situation.

Silently, Bleach reached inside of her backpack and retrieved a small but potent magnet. Using it, she turned the veranda's doorknob from the inside, unlocking it. Smirking, Bleach quickly removed her diving suit and put it on the ground, at the very corner of the veranda, along with the water-proof bag in which her backpack was. Then, she entered the mansion, dry as a just used coal.

The thief relocked the veranda's door and looked around. To her surprise, Runvle's mirror was hanging on the wall that was right in front of her, over a beautiful antique chest of drawers.

Quickly, the girl put on a pair of gloves and stalked around the large circular table that was in the centre of the room so she could remove the mirror from its hanger. Softly, she put it on top of the chest of drawers so she could retrieve the counterfeit from her backpack. The fake didn't feel as heavy as the original, but it was an almost identical copy in terms of image. She'd make sure to give Zepile a nice bonus when she got back.

"Come, this way."

Bleach's eyes widened as she heard that voice. Someone was coming her way.

Quickly, the girl grabbed Runvle's mirror and scanned her surroundings. Her eyes focused on a large armoire that matched with the chest of drawers in front of her. Bleach didn't think twice, she ran into the antique armoire, thanking whatever divinity that was out there that the thing was just for show and, therefore, completely empty.

In absolute silence, Bleach heard as people, ten to be exact –  _the Ten Dons_ – entered the room and took their places at the table.

Bleach smirked. It was all right; the men would just talk and leave. No harm done. All she had to do now was wait.

* * *

Bleach felt it as if it was there in the armoire, right beside her.

That killer intent that was approaching from outside, though extremely calm and controlled, was so determined and hell-bound in succeeding that there was just no way Bleach could've missed it. It was as scary as Hisoka's and, strangely, as familiar as the jester's. Though she had never felt such an intense cold-blooded killer intent before – actually, she had, from Feitan - Bleach was sure she knew the owner of the aura; she just couldn't place it...

Though scared and, at the same time, curious, Bleach kept her calm and remained perfectly still. She didn't skip a beat, she didn't hold her breath, she didn't shut her eyes and she didn't clutch the mirror tighter. Really, if anyone could see her then, they'd think her dead for the lack of reaction.

Bleach couldn't tell which of her senses told her what was happening in the room, but she could see it playing in her mind as if she was watching a movie. The tall, elegant figure appearing on the balcony without anyone noticing it. The projectiles leaving said figure's hand and going straight to their marks.

Bull's eye.

The Ten Dons were dead.

That was all expected. What Bleach didn't expect was for one of the Ten  _dead_  Dons to start talking.

"Yo. Everyone alright? First, I apologize for taking so long to contact you. Sorry. There has been a lot of chaos, but it's all cleared up now. We've dealt with the Phantom Troupe's leader. It's only a matter of time before the rest of them are finished. We're letting the professionals handle the hunting so you all can enjoy the auction. Tonight, we'll be watching the auction live so let us see some furious bidding."

There was just one way for a dead man to talk: he was being manipulated by Nen. And, there was just one Manipulation Nen user that Bleach knew.

_Killua's brother. Illumi Zoldyck._

Sure enough, Bleach heard his uncaring voice as he talked on what she presumed was his cell phone.

"Yes. Where is my client? Oh, were you fighting? Is he still alive? Just in the nick of time… That's a relief! Well, relay him a message: I've killed the Ten Dons. Tell him to send the money to my account as agreed."

He'd leave soon; Bleach could feel it. All she had to do was wait for a few more seconds and not screw up.

However, she did screw up. Not because she had made a sound or because her Zetsu wasn't good enough, but because, in her hurry to enter the closet, she had forgotten to put the fake mirror on the wall, leaving it on the top of the chest of drawers. The Dons hadn't noticed the small flaw, but Illumi had and he knew that a place frequented by the Ten Dons wouldn't have such a flaw in decor. As if that wasn't clue enough, there was a diver's suit on the veranda's floor that just screamed 'break in'. The assassin knew that something was wrong.

"Whoever is there, show yourself." The pincushion ordered.

With one of her hands holding the mirror, Bleach wouldn't be able to use Foog's chakrams to defend herself – not that she had a chance anyway - so she took the best course of action she could think of: she ignored Illumi's demand.

"If I find you myself, it'll be worse."

Bleach remained in silence.

A couple of seconds later, a small paper confetti slipped in through the gap between the armoire's doors. Not a millisecond later, the armoire's doors were pulled open harshly, by none other than Illumi.

Narrowing her eyes, Bleach reinforced her Ten as a protective measure and jumped to the side, breaking a hole through the armoire. Then, she came face-to-face with Killua's cross-dressing brother, Kalluto, who was ready to attack her. Bleach didn't give him the chance to do so; she charged straight to him and slammed her left arm on his face with enough strength to send him to the ground. As she did that, Bleach felt many needles pierce her calves and thighs and stopped. Not because she wanted to or because she was stunned in doing so, but because her legs just refused to move.

Wordlessly, the white-haired girl turned her face to glare at Illumi from over her shoulder.

"Oh! It's you!" Illumi exclaimed in a tone that managed to mix surprise and boredom. "What are you doing here?"

Ignoring his question, Bleach clutched tighter the small mirror in her right hand and looked around. There was someone else in that room besides her, Illumi and Kalluto; an old man that, though not looking like much, Bleach was sure could kick her ass with his hands tied behind his back.

Another needle pierced Bleach's body. Her neck to be more precise.

"What are you doing here?" Illumi repeated his question.

Bleach felt her mouth open against her will to answer the man's question and that angered her to no end.

"I'm… here….bec-… Ugh…"

The girl was trying her best to keep quiet but not because she was so against Illumi knowing what she was there for. Oh no, her reason was much more childish: she just wanted to spite him. Bleach had always hated people telling her what to do and Illumi took it to the next level. He was actually  _controlling_  what she did, keeping her legs still and forcing her mouth to speak. Who did that little shit think he was?!

"You're here because…?" Illumi urged.

Glaring pitchforks at the assassin and actually growling like some sort of animal, Bleach forced her left arm to move and harshly pulled the needle from her neck.

The old man noticed that the wound started to heal almost immediately.

"Fuck you, pretty boy! You don't tell me what to do!"

Then, careful not to break the mirror in her right hand, she lunged at the man, tackling him to the ground and raising her left fist to punch him in the face. Illumi was quick to hold her raised fist and roll Bleach over, pinning her to the ground beneath him and making his needles dig further into her legs. They kept in that position for a few seconds, with Illumi staring at Bleach's burning eyes with his unfeeling ones.

Though no one could see it from his face, Illumi was actually shocked by the fact that, not only had the girl beneath him ignored his order, despite being pierced by many of his Nen doused needles, she had also attacked him. Illumi didn't understand how it was possible for her to overcome his Manipulation.

More than that; he didn't like it.

Automatically, Illumi's free hand encircled Bleach's throat. The grip tightened painfully.

"Illumi, stop." The old man ordered, making Illumi retrieve his hands immediately.

Gracefully, the assassin leaped off Bleach to his great-grandfather's side as the girl sat up, massaging her throat with her left hand while clutching the mirror to her chest in a protective manner with her right one.

"Girl, come here, yes?" The old man asked.

Shooting one last glare at Illumi, Bleach removed the needles from her legs, stood up and walked towards the old man.

"I'd like to see your eyes, if you don't mind." Resisting the urge to roll said eyes, Bleach knelt down in front of the short old man. "Without the contact lenses."

Bleach's eyes widened at hearing that. "How do you know?"

The old man smiled enigmatically.

With a sigh, Bleach lowered her head and reached up to take her contacts off.

But, before she raised her gaze back to the old man, Bleach's body started to tremble and cold sweat started to streak down her neck and back. Never in her life - as Bleach, at least - had she shown her true eye-colour to anyone. Ever. And now, she was going to show it to some old man she had never seen before?

' _Don't let they see your eyes, dumbass. Hide them, always. Or they will kill you. They want to kill the chosen one.'_

Bleach knew those words weren't valid anymore; that the people who killed her family weren't there, but after a life-time of hiding, she was scared. And, once she thought about it, she had reason to be afraid; the whole Kuruta clan was murdered for their Scarlet Eyes. What would people do to her if they found out her irises were fucking  _rainbow_?!

"Raise your head, girl." The old man said in a soft but firm voice. "No one will hurt you. For now."

Bleach took a deep breath and raised her rainbow eyes to the old man.

"Just as I remembered." The old man commented. "It has been many decades, but these eyes have never left my mind. Castere, I'm sorry about your family."

"It's alright. I don't even remember anything about them. Also, my name is Bleach, not Castere." Bleach dismissed, putting up a nonchalantly front and standing up.

_Wait a moment! How the fuck does this old man know about the Castere?_

Bleach's head whipped to the old man's direction. "But, how do you know about them? About me? My eyes? Who are you, anyway? Killua's grandfather?"

"Great-grandfather, actually. My name is Maha Zoldyck and I worked in your family's palace for some years." He explained. "But it was many a decade ago."

Then, the wheels in Bleach's head started turning. Elmsy didn't know how to get to the Castere Palace, but this old man…

"But, hypothetically, if you were to go back to said palace, would you be able to? I mean, would you remember how to reach it?"

"Naturally." He answered. "The Castere were great clients of mine once, and I never forget about great clients."

Bleach smirked. "And how much would that information cost me?"

"We don't sell information, we sell our services, girl." The old man explained. "Teach a man how to fish and he won't buy your fishes anymore."

"Fine." Bleach huffed. "So, how much for you to take me there?"

Were Illumi and Kalluto less emotionless, they would've laughed at the girl's question.

"You could never afford Great-grandfather's services." Kalluto stated.

Bleach glared at the little boy in response.

"But, perhaps, you could afford one of my grandsons' services." Maha put in.

The incredulous look on Kalluto's face made a huge smirk across Bleach's face.

"I choose Kalluto."

Then, the disgusted expression on the boy's face made her laugh.

* * *

In the end, the four people walked to one of the mansion's empty lounges so they could talk about business in a place without ten rotting corpses. Illumi and Kalluto sat down side by side on a couch, Maha sat alone on the couch on front of theirs and Bleach sat down on an armchair that, had they been sitting at a table, would be placed at the head of it. The girl kept her mirror close to her chest and her eyes glued on Illumi and Kalluto. Especially on Illumi.

"So untrusting." The eldest Zoldyck sibling commented. "Really, don't you tire of watching my steps like a hawk?"

Bleach's eyes narrowed. "You tried to strangle me."

"It was just for one second."

"It was one second too much."

Maha sighed. "Stop bickering, you two. Let's talk business."

"I apologize, Great-grandfather."

"We were not bickering!" Bleach protested, before regaining her cool. "So, anyway, how much to hire Kalluto to take me to that palace?"

"I won't take you." The little boy stated.

"I thought you were better than that." Bleach commented with her eyebrow raised. "Really, to pass on a job just because I thought you were a girl is a little unprofessional, don't you agree?"

"I won't take you because I have another job planned already." The boy explained with a glare.

"So, that leaves me…" Bleach's gaze moved to Illumi who stared back at her with those emotionless eyes. Then, Bleach's desperate gaze darted to back to Maha. "How much more expensive are your services, anyway?"

"At minimum, we're talking about a difference of 500.000.000 jenny."

"WHAT THE FUCK?!"

* * *

"I'll see you on September 12th, then. As long as you don't forget to deposit the money on my account." Illumi said before following his great-grandfather out of the mansion with Kalluto on his heels.

"Yeah…." The girl grumbled, unhappy with her just hired guide. "30% of discount and he still manages to rip off 270.000.000 jenny from me. Mercenary. Good thing that the Heavens Arena and my thefts around the city were so fucking profitable, else I'd never be able to pay him."

Then, the girl turned around and re-entered the mansion, walking back to the lounge they were occupying before. No one was there - no one alive, at least -so she could use the room for a couple of more minutes.

Bleach sat down on the couch Illumi and Kalluto had occupied a few hours before and raised her orange-ish mirror to her eye-level. Eyes closed, the girl took off her gloves and touched the mirror.

"I know you're there, Runvle. Please, talk to me."

A second later, an orange light enveloped Bleach, trapping her inside a protective bubble that, though seemingly frail and soft, was as hard as diamond. In her mind, Bleach could see a rabbit-like creature, only bigger, with a light orange, thick, scaled skin covering its body. Also, it was holding a mirrored shield in front of him. It also had two circular, and also mirrored, pauldrons on its shoulders, a large and circular shield on its back and an oval mirror on its forehead, between the base of its long ears. A chain connected one of Runvle's ankles to one of Bleach's.

" _ **Unvle unv un unvle?"**_

"Of course I know your name. I asked Namid and Foog about you. A lot."

" _ **Un?"**_

"Why? Because I wanted us to be friends. Or, at least, good companions."

" _ **Unv unvle."**_

"Yes, I want to use your power. And yes, I won't deny it; that was the reason I came here for you." Bleach admitted. "But, I won't use it unless you lend it to me willingly. It is your power; I refuse to force you use it unless you give me permission to do so."

" _ **Un?"**_

"Because… I know how it feels when people make you do things you don't want to. And I hate it; people should be free to do as they like. That's why."

" _ **Un unvle un u?"**_

Bleach smiled. "Yes, I'm serious. So, let me ask this properly: Runvle, would you be my Guardian of Protection?"

" _ **Unvle unv unv u unvle."**_

"I know they never asked you, but they aren't my family; I'm not a Castere. My name is Bleach and just Bleach." Bleach protested with a pout on her lips, before letting out a sigh. "But I understand if you don't wish to help bec-"

"…  _ **Un u unvle."**_

A big smile stretched across Bleach's lips. "I'm glad. I'm really, really glad."

* * *

Bleach met with Gon and Killua first thing in the following morning. They were on the park, shovelling tons of junk food down their throats.

"How nice." Bleach commented with a sarcastic smile. "You two have started the picnic without me."

"Yeah, well, you're the one that took too long to come back." Killua shot back before shoving a whole hotdog in his mouth.

"Hey! Save some for me, damn it!" With that, Bleach dropped on the ground and joined the boys, trying to eat at least some of the food before they finished everything. "And I thought that I had a big appetite. Really, I'm a light weight compared to you two gluttons."

Not two minutes later, none other than Kurapika approached the trio.

"Kurapika!" Gon called, spiting food on Killua and Bleach's faces before running to the blonde. "That's great! Now that the Troupe is dead-"

Bleach tensed. The Phantom Troupe, dead? No way  _in hell_. She didn't know where Gon had heard about that, but it was a lie.

"-you can finally focus on your main goal. You have to find the eyes of your people." Bleach watched with curious eyes as Killua grabbed a lemon pie and silently walked towards Gon. "If there's anything we can do to he-"

Then, the ex-assassin slammed the pie on Gon's face.

"Killua!" Gon yelled as he grabbed the other lemon pie and threw it at the white-haired boy.

To Bleach's dismay, both boys started their own private food fight.

"Such a waste of food…"

Really, the girl was almost weeping at seeing so much food go to waste.

Kurapika just smiled at the scene playing before him.


	16. YSC: Kurapika's Revenge

_The ex-assassin slammed the pie on Gon's face._

_"Killua!" Gon yelled as he grabbed the other lemon pie and threw it at the white-haired boy._

_To Bleach's dismay, both boys started their own private food fight._

_"Such a waste of food…"_

_Really, the girl was almost weeping at seeing so much food go to waste._

_Kurapika just smiled at the scene playing before him._

* * *

After the picnic was over – aka: after Gon and Killua wasted all of the food in their food-fight while Bleach sulked besides a laughing Kurapika – the blonde took the trio to a nice hotel, where they met up with Leorio.

"Well, together at last." Bleach said with a smirk on her face. "Took longer than expected for the five of us to get in the same place, huh?"

"Yes! It's been a while!" Gon agreed excitedly.

The five of them exchanged happy smiles – or, in Bleach's case, smirk – and made their way to a private room, in which they talked about Nen. More specifically, about Kurapika's Nen and the restrictions he had to impose to himself to get stronger. They also talked about the Spiders and Hisoka.

* * *

"Kurapika, I told them so I think it's only fair that I tell you as well." Bleach began as soon as Kurapika finished talking. "I'm… kind of friends with some of the people of the Troupe."

It was a bad choice of words and Bleach realized it as soon as Kurapika's eyes started to burn into hers and his Nen chains started to shake around his hand and arm. Gon, Killua and Leorio acquired a tense position, ready to take action to avoid a fight from breaking out between the other two. Bleach, on the other hand, just crossed her arms over her chest and fixed Kurapika with serious eyes.

"Calm down." The girl said firmly. "Just because I know them doesn't mean I took part in any of their crimes. Do you understand what I'm saying, Kurapika? I did NOT participate in your clan's massacre."

For some seconds, the room remained in a tense silence as everyone waited for what Kurapika would do. Finally, the blonde let out a deep sigh, allowing his body and his chains to relax.

"Please, explain yourself, Bleach." Kurapika said in a calm, but still threatening voice.

The girl let out a relieved sigh. "Very well…"

* * *

"I see. So your relationship is not with the Troupe per se, but with some of its members, from when you lived in Meteor City." Kurapika concluded. "You didn't even know they were the Phantom Troupe or what they had done."

"Yes."

The blonde couldn't help but smile in relief. "You should choose your words more carefully. You had me on edge for a moment there."

"I like to go out with a bang." Bleach retorted, giving the blonde a playful smirk before turning serious again. "Anyway, I'm telling you all that for a reason. Two, actually. First: Kurapika, they are strong and you know it; they wouldn't die easily."

"What are you getting at?" Leorio put in, furrowing his eyebrows at the girl.

Bleach's eyes darted to Leorio before returning to Kurapika, who was staring back at her with a serious and intense look on his face.

"I don't think they are dead." Bleach explained. "I really don't."

"What are you talking about?!" Leorio demanded. "Of course they're dead! The news-"

"Fuck the news." Bleach cut in harshly, fixing an annoyed glance on Leorio. "The media is a big fat liar. Have you actually  _seen_  their bodies, old man?"

"Well…"

"I have."

Bleach's eyes darted back to Kurapika, no longer narrowed in annoyance, but wide in shock and – the blonde noticed – sadness.

"What?"

"Like you, I was sceptical and didn't believe they were truly dead. I demanded to see the Spiders' bodies for myself."

Bleach dropped her eyes to the floor. "And they-"

"They are truly dead, Bleach."

For the second time in her life, Bleach felt her heart clench painfully at the feeling of loss. Not only did she lose Ubogin, but Kuroro, Machi and Shal – and Feitan, in some degree – as well? No. That was impossible. They couldn't be dead; they were too strong to die.

Lost, Bleach raised her eyes back to Kurapika's. The boy's orbs were resolute and true; he had seen the Spiders' bodies. They were dead.

Dropping her head, Bleach felt tears threaten to fall from her eyes, but she held them back; it wouldn't be appropriated to mourn the fallen Spiders in front of Kurapika.

"I won't resent you for crying for a friend's life, Bleach." Kurapika spoke, getting the girl to raise her head again, shocked at hearing that. "That only proves how innocent you are in their crimes. A person that mourns the death of someone who she hasn't seen in years like you want to wouldn't be capable of doing what they did to my clan."

Wordlessly, Bleach nodded and allowed a couple of tears to streak down her cheeks, but she quickly rubbed them off on the back of her sleeves.

The group spent a couple of minutes in tense silence before Killua spoke up.

"And the second reason, Bleach?"

"Huh? Ah, right; my second reason for telling this to Kurapika. Sorry about that." Bleach let out with a soft shake of her head before fixing her eyes on the blonde again. "While I understand your desire for revenge, I'll do anything within my power to keep any of my… friends from dying."

Everyone's eyes widened at those words.

"What are you saying?!" Leorio demanded, standing up from his chair angrily. "Are you going to help them?! You rather protect them than Kurapika?!"

"You weren't listening, old man." Bleach spoke with a stale smirk. "I said I don't want  _any of my friends_  to die. I consider Kurapika a friend. As a matter of fact, recently, I came to realize that I consider you all – yeah, even you, old man – as friends."

"…What?" Leorio spurted.

"What she's trying to say-" Kurapika put in, letting out a tired sigh. "-is that she doesn't mind me going after my revenge, as long as it doesn't involve the deaths of anyone she knows."

"As always, Blondie is right." Bleach spoke, widening her smirk and dropping her weight on her armchair's back support. "You find a way to get your revenge on the rest of the Troupe without making me lose anyone else or killing yourself and I might even help you out a little bit. You do something suicidal or try to kill anyone else I know, I'll stay in your way."

The group's reaction varied. Leorio, as expected, seemed annoyed with Bleach for not siding with Kurapika unconditionally. Kurapika, to the girl's surprise, wasn't angry with her and actually seemed to understand her choice. Killua seemed to be a little confused as to how someone could defend both sides of a fight at once. Gon, to Bleach's delight, was beaming in pride and happiness.

"Ne, I've always known you were nice, Bleach. But I didn't know you were so selfless!" The brunette boy exclaimed.

If Bleach and Leorio were drinking something, they'd have spitted the drink out in shock. Instead, both resigned themselves to one simple exclamation:

"WHAT?!"

"Gon, are you crazy?" Bleach continued, staring at the boy with wide eyes. "I'm many a thing, but selfless is NOT one of them."

"But, you want to save everyone…" The boy spoke, dropping his head to the side in a most adorable way.

"Yeah, but my reasons for doing it are completely selfish." Bleach answered. "I don't want to keep everyone alive because it's the right thing to do, or because I have some sort of honour-code or because I think killing will get us nowhere. The only reason I'll fight to keep anyone from dying is because it…" The girl felt heat raise to her cheeks as she thought about the words that were about to leave her mouth.  _Fuck, I'm going to sound so cheesy._ "It hurts  _me_  when someone I know and like dies. I don't want to lose anyone else and that's it. Nothing selfless about it."

After long seconds of an awkward silence Kurapika resumed talking with a small smile playing on his lips.

"You know, Bleach. It never ceases to amaze how you always manage to transform noble intentions into amoral desires."

The girl answered that with a smirk. "It's an art."

* * *

Those words had the desired effect and lightened up the mood in the room, allowing Killua to return the conversation to the more pressing matters: what to do to keep Pakunoda from reading their memories now that they knew that Kurapika was the Chain User. The topic soon died when Kurapika said that, now that Spider's head was dead, he'd focus himself in finding the rest of the Scarlet Eyes. Bleach didn't even try to keep the satisfied smirk from her lips at hearing that.

However, the girl's happiness ended all too soon, when Kurapika's phone buzzed with a text message from Hisoka:

" _The corpses were fake."_

Bleach didn't know if she wanted to widen her smirk at hearing that Kuroro and the others were alive or scowl at knowing that this meant Kurapika would hunt down the Spiders after all. She settled for looking as shocked as the rest of the people in the room.

"The situation has changed." Killua said. "What do we do now? We're here to help."

Gon and Leorio were quick to agree. Then, the four boys turned their gazes to Bleach, who was glaring down at the ground, as if it had the answer to her dilemma.

"Bleach?" Killua called. "What are you going to do now?"

For a couple of minutes, the girl didn't move and the boys didn't pressure her. They all could see it was a difficult decision for the girl, so they let her glare at the floor for as long as she wanted. Finally, she raised her head to them with her trademark smirk playing on her lips.

"I told you before, didn't I?" The girl asked. "Kill no one and I'll help you out." She gave them a smirk, but it was small and strained. "But just a tiny little bit."

* * *

_I can't fucking believe it._ Bleach thought angrily as she and Killua ran after the Spiders.  _For the second time in my life, I'm running towards danger just because I have some crazy-ass friends with some fucked up suicidal tendencies. Really, Kurapika! What the fuck possessed you to run after them like that?! You're smarter than that, you shithead!_

* * *

Bleach and Killua had been given the job to trail Pakunoda with the help of one of Kurapika's co-workers, Senritsu, and ended up in York Shin's subway.

As soon as they left the subway station, Pakunoda, Kuroro, Machi, Nobunaga, that glasses-wearing girl and a little boy who Bleach didn't know started running towards Kurapika's boss' hotel. The blonde didn't think twice before following after them.

Killua and she exchanged a look. The former assassin soon took off towards the Spiders and Bleach had no choice but follow.

"Killua!" Bleach called through the heavy rain. "I'll speed up a bit to scout them from ahead. It'll be better if we're able to watch them from different angles!"

"Alright!"

With a dismissive nod from the boy, Bleach sped up and jumped up a building so she could surpass them from high ground, avoiding their line of sight. Her eyes widened and her heart started to pound painfully fast when she saw Kuroro, Machi and that spectacles-wearing girl halt their movements, while Nobunaga, Pakunoda and the little boy kept going at full-speed.

Bleach quickly stopped running and hid herself. Whatever happened, they couldn't find her.

"I'm fucked."

* * *

"They got Gon and Killua." Bleach said in a low voice on her cell phone as she watched from the building tops the Spiders walk to Beitacle Hotel. "What do I do now, Kurapika?"

" _For now, nothing. Just keep following them from a distance and, whatever happens, do_ _ **not**_ _enter the Hotel yet. I'll call you back in five minutes with further instructions."_

"Fine. Asshole."

"…  _I'm sorry, Bleach. It was my fault; I shouldn-"_

"Shut up. Don't apologize and don't think about it for now. You concentrate yourself in devising a plan for us to save those two. After they're alright, you can beg for my forgiveness while I kick your ass."

" _Understood."_

* * *

_Buzz... Buzz..._

"I'm here, Kurapika."

" _Bleach, do you still have the Spiders on your sight?"_

"Yes."

" _Do you think you can stall them for a couple of minutes?"_

"Stall?"

" _Yes, I have a plan. But I need some time to get to the Beitacle hotel. Do you think you can do it?"_

"You mean, reveal myself?" There was no mistaking the slight fear in the girl's voice. "Allow them to capture me?"

"… _Yes."_

"…"

" _If you think you can't, I-"_

"Shut up, Blondie. I'll do it."

* * *

"Someone else is following us." Kuroro said, suddenly halting his steps. "Actually, they're coming our way."

Machi and Shizuku tensed for a fight or another capture as a figure landed a few feet in front of them. It was a woman and she was wearing black pants and a black waterproof hoodie. She raised her hands in a surrender gesture and walked slowly to them.

"Calm down; it's just me." The woman spoke and raised a hand to allow her hood to drop, revealing her smirking face. "I just came here to talk."

Machi and Shizuku relaxed their stances slightly while Kuroro tensed his out of surprise. The girl was all grown-up now and, without her blindfold covering her brown eyes, it was hard to recognize her. But there was no mistaking that smirk on her lips; it was all Bleach.

"Hey, Kuroro." Bleach greeted nonchalantly. "Long time no see."

"Indeed." A small smile stretched on his lips. "Nobu told me you had showed up to capture us for the bounty on our heads with these two boys. It was a stupid idea, Bleach; you know we're way above your level. And you're not one to make the same mistake twice. So, tell me, why are you here?"

"You don't beat around the bush, huh? That's what I like about you." Bleach commented, widening her smirk. "Truth is: these two idiots ran off our hotel room without letting me know. When I found out they were gone, I started to search them because I knew the idiots were going after you guys.  _Again_. I was hoping to intercept them before they found you. No bounty is worth risking our lives like that."

"The bounty has been removed." Machi told her.

"What?!" Bleach exclaimed, faking outrage. Then, she lowered her gaze to Gon and Killua, forcing an amused smirk on her lips. "So you two got captured for nothing? Idiots."

"You didn't know that either!" Killua shot back, pretending to be annoyed at the girl. "So shut up and tell your friends to let us go."

"About that, why are you keeping them around?" Bleach asked, raising her confused eyes back to Kuroro. "They're harmless."

"We're going to ask them about the Chain User." Kuroro explained.

"Not that again…" The white-haired girl groaned. "We know nothing about that guy. That was established on the first time we met already."

"Who knows? You may have come across some interesting information since then." Kuroro spoke, watching Bleach attentively for any signs that he was right. Not a muscle tensed. But that meant nothing; the girl had always been a good liar. "They are coming with us to Beitacle hotel, and that's final."

"Come on, Kur-"

The girl's voice died when the head of the Spider grabbed her upper arm. His movements were so fast that she didn't even see him doing that.

"And you're coming too."

* * *

As they made their way to the hotel, Kuroro ended up taking the lead of the group with Bleach walking right by his side, as she used to do years ago, in Meteor City.

"I'm glad you're alright, Bleach." Kuroro spoke, giving the girl a small smile.

"Of course I am." She scoffed. "I've always been able to take care of myself, you know?"

The Spider's smile grew into an amused smirk. "Not really."

Bleach glared in response. "Shut up; you don't get to have an opinion on this. Also, I'm not the one that needs Machi as a bodyguard."

Kuroro let out a chuckle and shook his head. No matter the situation, the girl always managed to make the atmosphere lighter.

"Still, despite you being extremely capable and qualified to take care of yourself at the wise age of 11-"

"Damn right I was."

"-being kidnapped by the Mafia couldn't have been a walk in the park."

"Eh, nothing I couldn't handle." Bleach spoke with a shrug of her shoulders. "Also, it's not like I was the first one. The Mafia always gets what it wants from Meteor City."

"Not anymore."

Now that had Bleach widening her eyes in surprise. "What?"

"We put an end to the Mafia's control over Meteor City. The Troupe takes care of the place now." Kuroro explained with a smile. "As we were dismantling the Mafia's schemes, we even got word about you from one its lapdogs. A strong woman, blonde-"

Bleach's eyes widened. "Are you talking about Nair?"

"Yes; I believe that was her name. She said she was the one that 'recruited' you, right? Unfortunately, by the time Feitan was through interrogating her, you had run away from the Mafis already."

"You guys actually asked about me? Really?" The girl asked, widening her eyes in shock even more as something clicked in her mind.  _So that was why Noir was so dead-set in murdering me during the Hunter Exam. He blamed me for the Troupe killing Nair._

"Yes, really." Kuroro said, ruffling her hair a bit. "Ubo and Nobu would've killed me if I didn't at least try to find you."

A silence stretched between them for some moments, before Kuroro resumed talking.

"You know, Bleach, the offer to join is still open."

"Kuroro, I-"

"No need to answer now. Just think about it."

_I don't need to think about it. I'm a thief but not a murderer, I could never be a Spider._

Then, they stopped in front of a tall and well-illuminated building. Kuroro looked down at her, smiling that confident smile he used to give them all in Meteor City.

"We're here."

* * *

_A couple of hours later, on the canyons._

" _Killua, put the phone over your heart."_ Kurapika asked.

The former assassin did just that, allowing Senritsu to listen to his heartbeats and confirm that they were all right.

"Alright!" Kurapika exclaimed loudly, so his voice could reach the people many feet in front of him - Gon, Killua, Bleach, Pakunoda and Hisoka. "Let's begin the exchange!"

Killua made to turn off the cell phone, but Bleach quickly snatched it from his hand.

"Wait! Kurapika!" Bleach called through the phone. "Let me return to York Shin on the same airship as Pakunoda!"

Pakunoda, Gon and Killua's eyes widened at the request. Hisoka, who had tagged along to fight Kuroro, just raised an eyebrow in amusement.

" _What?! Bleach, what are-!"_

"Please." The white-haired girl pleaded. "I just want to talk to her."

" _What if she kills you?!"_

Bleach turned her gaze to Pakunoda, who was staring down at her with wide eyes.

"It's alright." Bleach reassured with an uncharacteristic soft smile on her lips. "She won't hurt me. I trust Paku."

" _Are you sure about that?"_

"Yes."

"... _Fine."_

* * *

Bleach and Pakunoda entered the airship to wait while Hisoka and Kuroro fought each other.

Both women stared out of the window with curious eyes as Hisoka took off his shirt and removed what seemed to be a second layer of skin, with a tattoo of spider with a number 4 inside, from his back.

"They won't fight." Pakunoda stated, turning away from the window to stare at Bleach. "With Danchou incapable of using his Nen, Hisoka has no reason to fight him so let's not waste our time watching them. I want to know why you are here, Bleach."

Reluctantly, Bleach moved her gaze from Hisoka's sculpted upper body –  _Fuck! Who'd ever imagine that creepy clown was that hot? –_  to Pakunoda's eyes.

"I just… I don't know." Bleach answered, scratching the back of her neck awkwardly. "I just… I guess I wanted to spend a little more time with you. We weren't the closest people in Meteor City, but we were still… you know…"

"Friends?"

"Yes… Weren't we?"

Pakunoda's lips twitched in a brief smile. "Yes, we were."

Both women spent some moments in silence and Bleach almost regretted asking to ride Paku's airship. For the life of her, she had nothing to say to the woman!

Fortunatelly for the girl, Pakunoda broke the silence.

"You know what, Bleach?"

"What?"

"You've grown rather pretty. I bet the boys fawn over you now."

Bleach's eyes widened before a smirk stretched on her lips.

* * *

" _Hey, kid."_

_Pakunoda called as she approached the strange white-haired girl that Kuroro had told her about. The kid was crouching on top of a mountain of garbage and scowling down at Machi. The pink-haired girl was many feet away, looking bored as the many boys around her tried – and failed - to impress her._

" _Why so jealous?"_

" _I'm not jealous!" The little girl snapped, turning her blindfold covered eyes to the blonde woman. "I'm just fucking annoyed at how those idiots fawn over Machi like that! Really, it's fucking pathetic! Don't they have anything better to do? Annoying little shits…"_

_Pakunoda raised an eyebrow in amusement._

" _Don't worry, kid. When you grow up, you'll be pretty as well, and I'm sure the boys will fawn over you like that."_

_The girl's scowl morphed into a pout. "How can you be so fucking sure?"_

" _I just am."_

" _Whatever… What's your name anyway?"_

" _Pakunoda."_

" _Oh! Kuroro told me about you. I'm Bleach."_

* * *

"Prettier than Machi?" Bleach risked, widening her smirk.

"Don't push it."

A chuckle escaped Bleach's lips before they both settled in silence again. Gradually, Bleach's expression turned serious and, in Pakunoda's eyes, a little sad as well.

"Paku…" Bleach called weakly.

"Yes?"

"I don't want anyone else to die."

The Spider's eyes widened but she said nothing, understanding all too well what the girl besides her meant by that. There wasno reassurance the Spider could give her; her decision was made.

Bleach bit her bottom lip hard enough to draw blood; Paku's silence spoke a thousand words that she didn't want to hear. Pakunoda was going to sacrifice herself for the Spider.

And there was nothing she could do about it.

 


	17. YSC: The Auctions

_September 6th. Inside Gon and Killua's hotel room._

"Eh? Who would've guessed?" Killua began with a smirk as Bleach walked out of the bathroom. "You can look like a real woman."

Dressed in an elegant, dark purple, long dress, wearing heels and make-up, Bleach looked like another person entirely. If only she'd drop the glare she was directing Killua…

"Shut up, brat!"

"What Killua's trying to say is that you're very pretty, Bleach!" Gon put in, smiling brightly.

Bleach pouted and turned her head to the side, trying to keep the brunette boy from seeing the blush on her cheeks.

"Thanks, Gon." She spoke awkwardly, before stalking off to the room's door. "Let's just go to the auction and get this over with, ok? I hate wearing heels."

* * *

 _Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! FUCK!_ Bleach chanted in her mind, as she, Gon and Killua fled the auction's room at full speed.  _What the fuck are Feitan and Phinks doing here?! And why the fuck did I put on heels?!_

As expected, the two Spiders caught up with the trio in a matter of seconds.

"That was cold." Phinks commented. "No need to run away."

"What can I say?" Bleach retorted, smirking at the blonde. "Survival instincts."

"No worry." Feitan continued. "We no going kill you."

Bleach blinked; both seemed to be speaking the truth. "And why's that?"

* * *

Phinks told them that Paku was dead and explained that the Spiders wouldn't go after the Chain User because his Nen could keep going even his death and harm Kuroro. Then he sent the trio on their way. The brats wasted no time in returning to the auction, but, to the blonde's surprise, Bleach remained where she was, staring up at him with hesitant eyes.

"What do you want, Blindy?" Phinks demanded.

"Paku…" She began, lowering her gaze to the ground. "Did you bury her?"

Phikns blinked, surprised at her question. "Yes."

"Where?"

Phinks and Feitan exchanged a look. Feitan nodded and Phinks answered.

"In the abandoned warehouse we were using as our HQ. Why?"

"Do you think…" Phinks watched as Bleach bit her bottom lip in frustration. "Would it be alright if I… you know… I... Can I… visit her?"

Phinks' eyes widened as one of Paku's memories came to surface.

" _Paku… I don't want anyone else to die."_

"Do what you like." The blonde Spider answered, turning his back to the girl so he and Feitan could return to the auction. Suddenly, he stopped to look at Bleach over his shoulder. "Paku… would like to see you there."

* * *

_Three days later, on the 9_ _th_ _of September_

To say that Killua was surprised when Bleach dropped by his room all dressed up again wouldn't be completely wrong. Sure, he didn't expect to see her dressed like that ever again, but he knew that, sooner or later, the thief would return to the auctions, ready to steal at least some of their products. Still, expecting her to do that didn't keep the former assassin from getting annoyed with the girl. She should've been training to get a spot in one of Battera's Greed Island games, not dressing up to go out! What if she wasn't strong enough to get a place in the game with them?!

"And why are you glaring at me like that, brat?" Bleach demanded of Killua; arms crossed over her chest and a cocky smirk on her lips.

"Shouldn't you be training?" The boy asked in an accusing voice. "We need to get stronger for Battera to hire us and you know that. So keep your kleptomania under control and return to your training. The screening is tomorrow and you know that."

"Why can't you be like Gon? All he did was tell me I was pretty and wish me good luck." Then, Bleach's smirk widened and she actually dared to pet the white-haired Zoldyck. "Don't worry, Killua. What I'm about to do will make me stronger. Well, see you later!"

Killua opened his mouth, about to demand what she meant by saying that stealing would make her stronger but, before he could get a word out, the white-haired girl was already out of the door.

With an exasperated sigh, the boy went back to his training.

"Stupid girl. Always does what she wants." Then, he smirked as a spark was born between his index fingers. "But, then again, so does Gon."

* * *

_A couple of hours later._

As Bleach crawled through the auction theatre's ventilation ducts, she couldn't help but smirk widely at how  _fucking easy_  it had been to get there safely.

* * *

About an hour earlier, a brown-haired woman, dressed in a fine, purple long dress, stood in the theatre's lounge, waiting for the auction to begin. During that time, a finely dressed man retrieved her wallet from her purse stealthily. No one around noticed the theft, not even the victim.

That is, not until she went to buy a bottle of water and found her wallet missing.

* * *

"How could you allow this to happen?!" The brown-haired woman screeched at one of the employees. "How can you be so lax with the security?! Do the Ten Dons know how useless you are?!"

"Don't worry, Miss, we'll find your wallet." The poor worker tried to calm the woman, desperate not to let her make an even bigger scene. "I'm sure our cameras will give us a suspect and, I assure you, we'll find him."

"Of course you will! And I'm going with you!"

"Miss, I'm sorry, but I can't allow you in our secur-"

"It's my wallet that has been stolen!" The woman yelled, drawing even more attention to them. "I demand to be there to find the culprit! So, unless you want me to call the Ten Dons and tell them how well you've been treating your clients, you'll take me with you!"

The worker looked from side to side as people around them began to whisper.

"A theft? Here?"

"I can't believe this. I thought the Ten Dons would reinforce security, not lax it."

"Yes. Especially after everything that happened in the last days."

"I'll think twice before coming to next year's audience."

Out of peer pressure, the woman's victim sighed in defeat and nodded to her.

"Please, Miss, follow me. I'll take you to our security room so we can see today's footage."

* * *

The brunette woman was actually Bleach and the pickpocket was nothing more than a disguised bum she had hired earlier that day to "steal" from her. All so she was admitted in the security room, where she could - discreetly, of course - insert a virus-infected pen drive on the main computer. The virus would turn off the movement sensors of the ventilation ducts and make the security cameras re-run their footage in repetitive loops. This would work until 20:00, when they'd open the auction room's doors.

After leaving the security room, all Bleach had to do was find the dressing room she had gone to earlier that day, disguised as one of the workers. In that room, hidden in one of the lockers, she retrieved the skin-tight black pants and turtleneck, black gloves, her black backpack and Eglo's bow's counterfeit. Quickly, she changed her clothes and climbed into the room's air opening.

Overall, it was an easy theft, but not a cheap one. Bleach had to spend 5 million jenny to acquire the theatre's blueprints so she would know which way to go once inside the ducts and another 25 million to get the pen-drive.

But it was alright, she'd profit more than enough to cover her expenses.

* * *

What _a bunch of shitheads. It has been days since the pincushion killed the Dons and they still haven't found out._ Bleach thought to herself as she used her magnet to turn the screws of the air output that would allow her to enter the safe.

Once inside the safe, the girl spent some seconds in mesmerized silence, observing the treasures around her.

 _I think I just had an orgasm._ Bleach thought as she dried some drool from her mouth with the back of her hand.  _But, the second one will have to wait until later. Now, the bow._

And so, the thief activated Gyo and looked around the room. To her surprise, there were several Nen-imbibed items scattered around besides Eglo's bow so she had to spend a couple of minutes checking out said items before finally coming across the weapon she was looking for, laying inside a display case.

Bleach didn't think twice. With a cocky smirk on her lips, she opened the case, took off one of her gloves and grabbed the bow.

Then, her whole body froze.

* * *

Once again, Bleach felt her skin burn and blisters form all around the little of her skin that her black outfit exposed. Only, this time, it was not scorching heat that was torturing her like that. On the contrary, this pain resulted of cold. A freezing cold that, no doubt, would make her suffer from extensive frostbite.

_Thank gods for Namid…_

From her sitting positing, Bleach tried to open her eyes, but her eyelids were frozen shut. Then, she tried to move her hands, but they were frozen to the ground. Her lips were frozen shut as well, but she forced them open anyway, moaning in pain as she felt blood pour out from her now raw lips. Not only that, her whole body was shaking intensively due to the cold, almost as if she was convulsing.

"My, my, my… Aren't you a masochist one?" A sultry and cold – quite literally, actually - voice blew on her face.

"N-Not rweally, no." Bleach answered in a clumsy way due to her shaking and from doing her best not to let her lips touch. She didn't know if she'd have the courage to force them open again if they refroze together. "Yoo m-mus be Eglou."

"Yes. Yes, I am."

"Why d-don yoo tun the t-tempetura up s-so I can tak lika a n-noumal peson withaou my m-mouf beein flozen s-shu?"

"And why would I do that? I like the cold. Plus, I can understand you just fine."

If Bleach could move her head, she would've spat at Eglo's face.

"Well, why don't we strike a deal?" The guardian continued, taking great pleasure in seeing the Chosen One literally on her knees, trembling in cold and with blood cascading down her mouth. "I'll turn down the cold, if you manage to touch me. To make things easier for you, I promise to stay still on this exact spot; I won't twitch a muscle."

Bleach wanted to throttle the Guardian of Ice that, she knew from her voice, was a couple of feet in front of her. That bitch knew she had her hands frozen to the ground! Not only that, her legs were shaking so badly that there was _no fucking way in hell_ that they'd hold her weight and allow her to walk up to the apparition.

But Bleach didn't have a choice in the matter. It was one of those do or die situations and she was NOT about to die before she found Ging.

So, without a word, Bleach pulled her hands from the ground beneath her harshly, screaming in pain as all of her palms' skin remained glued to the floor.

Eglo was divided between shock and amusement at the Chosen One's actions. She didn't expect the girl to actually try to follow through her deal, especially since there was no way those trembling legs would bring the girl to her.

The Guardian's expression settled to one of shock when, instead of trying to raise herself to her feet, Bleach grabbed at the chain that connected their ankles and started to pull. For a second, Eglo considered forcing herself to stay put, but, grudgingly, decided against it. She did promise not to twitch a muscle, after all. All Eglo could do right now was to suck it up and allow herself to be dragged by the girl in front of her.

As she pulled the chain to her, ther girl screamed as each grab she made left a frozen layer of tissue on the cold metal, but she didn't stop for a second. If she stopped, she wouldn't be able to resume such painful task.

Finally, after seconds that seemed an eternity, Bleach's bleeding hand closed around a thin and cold ankle.

"You win this time, Chosen One." She heard Eglo's angry voice right in front of her.

Soon, the air around them started to grow warmer and warmer, halting the shivers that were making Bleach's body shake like a leaf in a tornado and allowing the girl to finally open her, now dark blue, eyes.

Eglo was the first thing that met Bleach's vision.  _Fuck, she's tall._

The Guardian of Ice had the form of a tall and lean woman. Her skin was of an icy-blue colour, while her eyes and hair – which was tied in a firm braid that reached the apparition's feet – were dark blue. Just like Foog, the woman would be naked if it wasn't for her element covering her privates. Ice crystals surround her breasts and hips, forming what Bleach could only describe as an ice bra and skirt.

Slowly, the girl rotated her neck to examine her surroundings. She was sitting on what seemed to be a frozen lake and, surrounding her, were many large and beautiful crystals of ice that went from a pure white to a midnight blue. For a brief moment, Bleach wondered how the ice remained solid after the sudden rise of temperature, but she soon shrugged it off.  _Not like I haven't seen any laws of physics being broken in the last couple of months._

"You have a nice place, Eglo." Bleach spoke slowly, wincing at the pain that shot as her raw lips touched each other.

"I don't care what you think, Chosen One."

Bleach smirked. "Well, aren't you a bitch?"

"I don't care what you think, Chosen One."

"You really shouldn't be such a bitch."

"I don't care what you think, Chosen One."

"Now you're reminding me of a parrot."

"I don't care what you think, Chosen One."

"Stop that. It's annoying me."

"I don't care what you think, Chosen One."

"Really, it's enough."

"I don't care what you think, Chosen One."

"GOD FUCKING DAMN IT, YOU BITCH! STOP SAYING THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER AGAIN OR ELSE I'LL HAVE FOOG BURNING THIS PLACE TO CRISPS, YOU HEAR ME?!"

That gave Eglo pause.

"Foog?" The guardian echoed. "Foog is with you?"

"Yes. What about it?" Bleach snapped, raising her chin in a defiantly gesture.

"Why? We- I mean, he hates the Family. Why would he submit himself to you?"

"He didn't submit shit!" Bleach spat out. "We made a deal and, unlike your deals, Your Royal Bitchness, mine are fair for both parts! He helps me so he can get to do something with his powers. It's not much; I know that. But that's what I can give him until I find a way to release him from those shitty chakrams."

"Release?"

"Yes."

"You intend to release Foog?"

"And Namid, and Runvle, and you." Bleach completed, staring seriously into Eglo's blue eyes. "And the other guardians as well. If I manage to find them, that is."

"…You're not lying."

"No shit, Sherlock."

Eglo spent some moments in silence, staring intently into Bleach's eyes, which, unknown to the girl, were as blue as the guardian's.

Finally, the tall woman broke the silence.

"Still, I won't give you my power. I don't care if you mean well or not; what your family did to me and my friends was outrageous and I will not forgive it."

"They're not my family." Bleach grumbled.

"I don't care what you think, Chosen One." Eglo settled. "In your blood, you are a Castere and I don't deal with Castere. Not anymore."

It was Bleach's turn to stare. For minutes, the girl stood in silence, searching for any signs that Eglo might still turn around and help her out. She found none.

"Alright…" Bleach breathed out, grabbing the chain that connected her ankle to Eglo's once again. "If I ever find a way to free you, I will."

Eglo remained in silence.

"Bye then."

With that, Bleach broke the chain.

* * *

 _Namid, I don't think Eglo likes me much._  Bleach whined mentally as Namid's power healed her cold burns.

_**No surprise there. Ever since we were sealed, she has always hated the Chosen Ones. The only exceptions were the twins, Regal and Syrea.** _

_How did they win her over?_

_**With qualities that you lack desperately: charm, manners and patience.** _

…

_**What? You know I'm telling you the truth, dumbass.** _

_I hate you._

After Namid was finished healing her, Bleach stood up and looked around.

Eglo's bow dematerialized just like Foog's chakrams and Runvle's mirror had after the first time she synced with them. Quickly, the girl put the counterfeit in the display case and closed it.

Checking her watch, Bleach noticed she had only 106 minutes before the computer virus stopped working. Only 106 minutes to "go shopping". So, without further ado and with a demented smile on her face, she walked to the jewellery and gemstones session. Bleach knew she didn't need to worry about replacing the rest of the goods she was about to steal because, by the time people noticed those items were missing, she'd have them sold to the black market and out of her hands.

_I think I'll make more than a billion with this theft. Oh! And here comes my second orgasm of the day._


	18. YSC: Bye

_September 10th._

In the late morning, Killua and Gon walked into Bleach's hotel room to get her so they could go to Battera's Greed Island screening. What they found was a demented girl, dancing around to a melody that she was humming with a blissful smile on her face. Both boys sweat-dropped at the scene; Gon with a nervous smile on his face and Killua pinching the bridge of his nose.

"La! La la la! La la la! La! La la la la, la, lalala! La la! La la la! La~!"

_2 billion jenny! 2 billion jenny! 2 fucking billion jenny! In_ _**my** _ _bank account! Fuck the Mafia! Yes~!_

"Ne, you sure are in a good mood, Bleach." Gon commented awkwardly.

"Good morning, Gon!" Bleach greeted with a big smile on her face. The boys cringed and took a step back. They preferred her smirking. "And what a beautiful morning this is! I'm sure today is going to be an amazing day! We'll surely get in that Greed Island game! Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

The boys watched as the usually uncouspicuos and smug-looking Bleach skipped – yes, skipped – by them, all but beaming at the world around her. Neither could supress the shiver that ran down their spines.

"Gon…" Killua whispered. "I think she finally lost the little sanity she had."

The brunette tried to give his friend a reassuring smile, but it came out more like a stroke-induced grimace. "I'm sure she's just happy."

"Just happy? Gon, she's saying good-morning to the door-bells. I say we put her down now before she becomes a menace."

"Killua-"

"Hey, sweeties! You coming or not? We shouldn't waste such a beautiful day indoors!"

"-let's give her a little more time."

* * *

Thankfully for the boys, Bleach came down from her kleptomania-induced high as soon as she saw the huge line of people waiting for Battera's screening.

"The fuck?!"

"Bleach, Mito-san says no cussing."

"I know, Gon, but…" Bleach waved her hands in front of her almost desperately. "Look at this line! It's going to take hours for us to get inside!"

Normally, Killua would snap at the girl with some smart-ass comment about her being used to it since she had been on the waiting line to grow a brain for her whole life. But he was just so relieved at the fact she was no longer smiling creepily at each and every thing that he let her be and whine as much as she wanted. Annoyed Bleach was good; annoyed Bleach didn't look like she was on the verge of transforming into a pink-haired psychopath and go around killing people with a saccharine smile on her face.

"-llua! Killua!"

The white-haired boy snapped out of his thoughts to see his two companions staring at him. Gon had a confused smile on his lips, while Bleach had an annoying smirk on hers.

"I know I'm pretty, brat, but there's no need to stare at me like that."

Killua scoffed at the girl. "Don't delude yourself. The only reason I was staring at you was because I was thinking of how to tell you that you gained weight without having you flip out on me."

"WHAT?!" Bleach shrieked, looking down at herself. "I DID NOT GAIN WEIGHT! I… I'm sure I didn't. There's no way I… But I…"

Killua had to hold back his laughter as a very desperate Bleach examined every inch of her body looking for any excess of fat tissue – and finding many imaginary ones – while Gon fruitlessly tried to reassure her that she was as thin as ever.

 _When in doubt, play fat card._  Killua thought, giving himself a mental pat in the back.  _Girls just don't know how to deal with the fat card._

* * *

"Let me see your Ren." Tsezugera, a Jackpot Hunter hired by Battera, said to Bleach as soon as she entered the screening room.

"Uh? My Ren? Why do you want to see my Ren? My Hatsu is much cooler." Bleach said with her usual smirk in place. "And my Zetsu is much better."

Tszugera sighed. "Then show me your Hatsu."

Widening her smirk, Bleach made Foog's chakrams appear in her hands and set them on fire almost immediately. When she saw the shocked look on the Hunter's face, she felt as if her smirk was about to break her face in half of how wide it was.  _Not bad, huh? Mister high-and-mighty, oh-my-Nen-is-so-much-better-than-yours, you-kids-should-just-go-home, assh-._

"You passed."

* * *

"Hey, Gon, Killua!" Bleach called as she walked to the two boys. "I knew you two would pass." Then, she shot Killua a glare. "Though I'd preferred if it was just me and Gon. He doesn't call me fat."

Killua smirked. "I never called you fat; I just said you put on some weight."

"Shut up! You know that, for a girl, it's the same thing!"

"I do."

Bleach's glare intensified. "You little-"

"Hey, guys, don't fight." Gon pleaded, putting himself between his two friends. "Oh, look! Tsezugera is about to begin the explanation! Let's sit down."

With a huff, the girl took her place on Gon's left side, while Killua sat at his right.

"Well, allow me to congratulate you-" Tsezugera began and Bleach couldn't help but feel a slight sense of déjà vu as the image of Netero's speech on the end of the Hunter Exam came to surface in her mind.

Wordlessly, the girl shook her head. Illumi had pretty much fucked up the end of the Hunter Exam for her, Gon and the rest of the crew by manipulating Killua in killing that old man and returning to the Zoldyg estate. And the fact that, in a few days, she was going on a trip with the eldest Zoldyck sibling did nothing to reassure her that everything was going to be fine.

As a matter of fact, the thief felt a shiver run down her spine at thinking of how many days she'd have to spend in Illumi's company.

Silently, she prayed for the best, while bracing herself for the worst.

* * *

_In a café in York Shin City_

"It seems this contract can be summarized in three points-" Leorio began. "First: you can't file any claims if you're injured or die. Second: any items you bring out of the game belong to Battera. Third: if you clear the game, you'll receive a 50 billion jenny reward."

Bleach's eyes rolled back in her head and she began to drool at the last part. "50 billion jenny…"

The three boys looked at her and started laughing.

"What?" Bleach demanded, snapping out of her stupor and crossing her arms over her chest.

"It's just…" Gon beagn, smiling brightly at the girl sitting in front of him, besides Leorio. "You always act like you're driven by money all the time, but, in truth, you're nothing like that, Bleach."

Bleach scoffed. "Of course I am."

"Really?" Killua asked.

"Yes!"

"Then why did you agree to help Gon clear the game before knowing that there would be a reward?"

Bleach opened her mouth to retort, but Leorio beat her to it.

"And why did you help Gon when he was trying to make money to buy the game without demanding a fee?"

Once again, Bleach was about to answer. But, this time, Gon spoke before she could get one word out.

"And why did you run back to save me, Leorio and Kurapika from Hisoka when we got lost in the mist on the first stage of the Hunter Exam?"

"And why did yo-"

Burning red in annoyance and embarrassment, Bleach slammed her hand on the table. "Shut up!"

The three males stopped talking immediately.

"…"

"…"

"…"

"What?" The girl demanded. "Why are you staring at me like that?"

Killua smirked. "We thought you were about to defend your selfishness. What happened? No arguments?"

Bleach scowled darkly and turned her head to the side in an attempt of hiding the blush on her cheeks. "Just… let's go back to Battera's contract, alright? I'll be leaving in two days so we have to discuss it now."

"WHAT?!" The trio exclaimed in shock.

"Oh, didn't I tell you?" Bleach asked in a sarcastic voice, smirking in amusement at the boys' shocked expressions. "In two days I'll be going on a trip that will take an undefined amount of time."

"Why didn't you mention it sooner?!" Leorio demanded.

"Because I'm a selfish bastard."

"But, what about the game?" Gon asked, giving Bleach an adorable kicked-puppy look that made her smirk soften.

"Don't worry, Gon. I'll go with you to Battera's mansion to get my memory card and ensure my place in Greed Island. Then I'm going to get out and do my things. When I'm done, I'll go back to the game and find you guys. Somehow."

"And what are these things you have to do?" Killua asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Personal things that are none of your business." Bleach answered, smirking at the boy. "Anyway! Back to the contract!"

"Yeah. Right." Killua began, though not very happy with the girl's explanation. "About the second item…"

* * *

After talking about the contract, the four of them walked to the train station, where Leorio said his goodbye. He had his college of Medicine to return to, after all. Then, the trio went on their way to Battera's mansion.

Inside the mansion's basement, where the Joy Station consoles were located, Tsezugera explained how the game would work, Bleach watched the boys enter Greed Island, telling them not to get in too much trouble before she found them in there, and returned to York Shin.

Back in her hotel room, Bleach took a shower and got ready to an early night. As she laid in her bed, tossing and turning as she waited for a sleep that refused to come, Bleach realized something:

It was first time in almost a year that she would be on her own for more than a day.

Since the Hunter Exam, she always had Gon by her side. After they saved Killua from the Zoldyck estate, the former assassin was a constant in her every-day life as well. She might've sneaked out on those two to take care of some side business of her own for some hours, but they were always there, waiting for her.

That solitude, once so familiar to the girl, made her feel a mix of freedom, relief, apprehension and loneliness.

Bleach scowled. "Damn, I'm growing soft."

* * *

On the next day, Bleach had something planned. Something she was quite looking forward to. Hurriedly, the girl put on a pair of black jeans, a purple tank top, her ankle-high black boots and walked out of her hotel.

As she walked towards her destination, the thief stopped by a flower stand to buy a big and luscious bouquet of white roses.

* * *

" _Hey, Paku!" An 8 years old Bleach called as she ran towards the blonde woman. "Look at what I found!"_

_The little girl raised the item above her head so Paku could see what it was._

" _A book?" The woman asked, not interested at all._

" _Yes! But I don't know what the fuck are the things in it!" The girl answered in an annoyed voice. "Tell me what they are!"_

_Pakunoda sighed. "Why don't you go ask Kuroro?"_

" _No way! That shithead is going to make fun of me!"_

" _Then ask Shalnark."_

" _What?! That's even worse! Are you even hearing the words you're saying, Paku?! The know-it-all ain't never letting me live trough not knowing this shit!"_

" _What about Ubogin and Nobunaga?"_

" _Ha! I bet they don't know what these things are either!"_

_Pakunoda rolled her eyes, but stretched her hand nonetheless. "Just give me the book." Little Bleach complied quickly._

_The woman opened the book and was surprised to find that it was actually a simple flowers' catalogue._

" _These are flowers, Bleach. Surely, you've seen one before?"_

" _Not really, no." The little girl answered as she stood on her tiptoes to see the contents of the book as well. "What are they for?"_

" _They help plants to reproduce. With their colours, nectar, sme-"_

" _No, I mean, for us." Bleach cut in. "Why did some shithead make a book of these flowers?"_

" _Many flowers are used to make medicine or even poisons. Some are edible too. Others are just pretty."_

_Bleach scrunched her nose. "How fucking useless. Something that's just pretty."_

_Pakunoda smiled patiently. "I don't know... I like pretty things. My favourite flower is this one-" Bleach observed attentively as Paku pointed to a white and beautiful flower. "-the white rose."_

" _Why do you like something useless?" Bleach demanded, staring up at Paku with an almost accusing glare._

" _Because I do." The woman answered with a shrug of her shoulders and threw the book back at Bleach. "Why don't you take a look at the pictures and choose your own favourite flower?"_

" _How can I choose it if the book doesn't say shit about them besides their name? I need to know what they do to choose the one I like!"_

" _You don't have to be so serious, kid." Pakunoda spoke in a dismissive tone. "It's just a flower. Choose the one that makes you feel better."_

" _What? That makes me feel better? Paku! You're talking crazy again! How can a flower make me feel better?! Let alone a useless one! Hey, Paku! Don't you fucking walk away from me! I'm talking to you! Pakunoda!"_

* * *

Bleach reached the abandoned building in which the Spiders had once kept her, Gon and Killua as hostages for the better part of a day. The girl heaved a sigh and took a step forward.

"Hey, Bleach!" Shalnark called as he walked out of the building and towards her.

"Hey, Shal…"

"What are you doing here?" The blonde asked in his usual cheerful voice.

"I just…"

Bleach lowered her gaze to the bouquet in her hands and Shalnark followed her eyes.

"Ah… Well, come in then. Paku will be happy to see you." With that, he encircled Bleach's shoulders with one of his arms and started to pull her into the building. "Machi, Franklin and Nobu are here too. It'll be a good chance for us to talk a little, don't you think? You'll get to meet Shizuku, Korutopi and Bonolenov as well; I'm sure you must be curious about them."

Bleach didn't even remember the faces of those last three, but she decided not to say anything. Shal seemed pleased by her visit and she was not about to ruin it.

"By the way, I heard that there was a theft a couple of days ago. The person stole 3 billion worth of jewels and gemstones from one of the auctions' safes." Shal mentioned, giving Bleach a knowing grin. "You wouldn't happen to be involved in it, would you, Bleach?"

The girl's answer was nothing more than a smirk.

* * *

Gon, Killua and Leorio were wrong about her; she would always be a selfish bastard. But that didn't mean she couldn't care about others. On the contrary, it actually just make it easier for her to care. Since she didn't give a shit about society's rules (most of them at least) she saw no problem in just allowing herself to like someone, regardless of their past actions or twisted personalities.

And if she risked herself for someone's safety, it wasn't because she was a good soul, it was just because she liked the world better with him or her in it.

 _Yes. It's all for me._ Bleach settled.

Still, when she saw Pakunoda's tombstone, she felt her decision falter a little. If it was all for her, why was she here, visiting Paku's grave? It would only make her cry and feel guilty for not being able to save her…

_I don't care. Paku deserves these tears._

With a sad smile and a single tear streaking down her face, Bleach put the bouquet of white roses on the freshly dug ground.

"I brought your favourites, Paku."


	19. The Palace: I Miss Drinking

_York Shin City, airport's gate_

"You're three minutes late." Illumi announced in his monotone voice as soon as Bleach reached the meeting spot, carrying a backpack full of her personal belongings on her back.

"Oh, shut up." The girl snapped. "I'm paying you 270.000.000 jenny, I should be allowed a three minutes tolerance."

"Stop complaining, I gave you a 30% discount." The man dismissed. "Let's go, our airship leaves in 40 – I mean, 37 minutes. Hunters or not, we still have to check in. Also, put these on." Illumi threw a pair of dark glasses and earplugs to the girl.

"What for?" Bleach demanded, glaring at the objects in her hands. "I won't be able to see or hear shit with these."

"That's the idea. This way, if you ever need to go back, you'll have no choice but to hire me - or one of my brothers - again." Illumi explained matter-of-factly. "Don't worry. You can take them off once we're in our airship's cabin."

Bleach rolled her eyes, but put the glasses and earplugs on anyway. "Fucking mercenary."

With one hand, Illumi grabbed his luggage while he encircled his free arm around the girl's waist so he could guide her into the airport.

"Also, what do you mean OUR cabin?! I'm not sharing a room with you!"

The assassin resisted the urge to sigh in annoyance. Of course she was sharing a cabin with him. How else would he be able to watch over her to make sure that she didn't find out where they were going to?

* * *

A day-long airship ride, a 12-hours days train ride and 8 hours of hiking later, Bleach and Illumi found themselves in a snowy, small village of a very isolated country in the North that didn't even receive tourists.

In other words, those two spent almost two days only in each other's company, exchanging sarcastic insults or in an awkward silence – or, in Illumi's case, a blissful silence.

As you can imagine, Bleach was nothing short of jubilant when they arrived at said village. She skipped around in her thick, dark-red overcoat, which was complemented by black gloves, scarf and pom pom hat. Illumi followed in silence, wearing a much thicker, blazer-like, green overcoat with its collar turned up.

"People! Normal people!" Bleach exclaimed as she skipped into the small village, receiving annoyed looks from people around her. "Finally, I'll have other people to talk to!"

"Actually, people here don't like outsiders so I doubt you'll have someone else to talk to." Illumi corrected. "This country doesn't even receive tourists, remember? It was the first thing I told you when we left the train."

"Yeah, well, I must've not paid attention. Your voice bores me." Bleach commented with an amused smirk. To Illumi's credit, he didn't roll his eyes; he didn't even blink. "So, in which hotel are we staying?"

"None."

"… Come again?"

"Do you never listen or are you really that stupid? This place hates outsiders. In this village, there is no hotel, inn, motel, hostel, or whatever kind of hostelry you can think of. We'll just go to your family's palace. I did some research; that place has been abandoned for years so no one will mind us there."

"So what?!" Bleach demanded, angry. "You expect me to stay in a run-down, heating-free, dusty place just like that?!"

"You hail from Meteor City. I doubt it'll be the worst you've had to endure."

"For 270.000.000 jenny?! Hell yes, it's the worst I ever had to endure!" Bleach yelled. "Also, in Meteor City, it didn't snow while I had to stay in a place with no heating at all!"

"I told you to pack heavy coats."

"Oh, fuck you!"

"And we're back to trash language."

"I said, fuck you!"

* * *

_In the Castere Palace_

The palace was everything Bleach had dreaded and worse. It was full of dust, spider-webs, ornamented by human skulls and bones, falling to pieces and cold. So. Fucking. Cold.

"270.000.000 jenny! I paid you 270 fucking million jenny and you can't even find a decent place for us to stay?! Even when we both have a Hunter's License? How is that even possible?!"

"You do know that a Hunter's License isn't some sort of ultimate free pass for life, correct?"

"Still! 270.000.000 jenny! Plus Hunters' Licenses! Plus your last name!"

Illumi dropped his head to the side. "What does my last name have to do with anything?"

"I don't know! The Zoldyck are the most famous assassins of the world! Your great-grandfather worked for the Castere! Hell, I'm the only survivor and heir of the Castere Family! All of this has to be good for something!"

"The people that live in the village descend from the ones that were slaved and tortured by your family for generations. For five years, my great-grandfather was the one that allowed that to happen. Many of the people that currently live in the village participated in the butchering of your family years ago."

"…Alright, forget using your last name and the fact I come from the Castere family to our advantage-"

"That sounds prudent."

"- but the rest has to count for something!"

"It doesn't. Now, quit it."

"But-"

"Quit it."

"B-"

"I said. Quit it."

"270.000.000 jenny!"

"You just like complaining, don't you?"

"270 FUCKING MILION JENNY!"

* * *

"This place is disgusting."

"I find it quite classy. Despite the obvious lack of maintenance."

"… It's ornamented by human bones."

"Mom will love the idea."

"Juts… wow. Your creepiness knows no boundaries, does it? One would think it'd hit a wall or something."

"Your family is the one that came up with the idea."

"I have no family."

"Just because you don't remember them doesn't mean they didn't exist. You should value your family more."

"I value people that are worth it. Dead people that I never met in my life aren't worth shit."

"You're cussing again. I thought you had gotten over it since the Hunter Exam."

"You just bring it out from me."

"Well, keep it in."

"I won't keep  _shit_  in if I don't  _fucking_  want to. You don't tell me what to do,  _shithead_."

"Maybe a needle in your forehead wo-"

"Don't even think about it! You try to fucking manipulate me and this contract is over."

"Not if my manipulation is good enough. Which it is."

"You shoved about twenty fucking needles in my calves once and I still managed to tackle you down. How good do you think one needle is going to do to your fucking manipulation?"

"Actually, that is something that still bothers me; how  _did_  you manage to overcome my manipulation?"

"I'm just that awesome."

* * *

After walking around inside the palace for some minutes, the duo found themselves inside a small lounge. It had a large window that was covered by thick but holed red curtains. There was also a fireplace and, in front of it, a large and also red couch.

"I'm crashing here." Bleach announced.

Illumi raised an eyebrow at the girl. "In a lounge? In a palace with more than 40 empty bedrooms?"

"Tell me; what is that thing right there?"

"A fireplace."

"Exactly! I'm crashing here; in front of the soon-to-be lit fireplace. Also, the window isn't nearly as broken as most of the ones around here so it'll do a better job of keeping the wind away."

"Fine, but I won't carry any bed to this place."

"Bed? Bitch, please; there's a couch right in front of the fireplace. And I came from Meteor City; a pillow and some covers would be more than enough."

"Mom was right. Some people were born to be poor."

"Fuck you."

"And have no class. Whatsoever."

"I said, fuck you!"

* * *

"What is it that I'll have to wait for you to do, anyway?" Illumi asked as he watched Bleach struggle with lighting the fireplace with two little stones. It was sad.

"Ah… I just… have to find some things." Bleach said distractedly. "Fuck! Why won't this work?"

"And you believe it'll take you more than a few hours to  _just find some things_."

"Yeah… well, it's a process. Hey, don't you have anything else to do? Like, in somewhere else?"

Bleach didn't want to show the assassin her powers so, with Illumi gone, Bleach could use Foog's chakrams to light that damned fireplace in no time. Too bad for her that the assassin did what he does best: ignore her questions completely.

"A process?"

"Yes, a fucking process!" Bleach yelled in frustration. "I can't just… grab everything and…" Pissed, Bleach threw the stones she was using to try to make a spark to light the fireplace on the floor. "Ugh! Fuck this shit! I give up!" Then, she glared up at Illumi from her sitting position. "Look, think of this as a paid vacation, alright! You're receiving 270.000.000 jenny to come here and don't do shit. Hell, you can even raid this fucking place if you want to!"

"I think the people who killed your whole family have already taken all that is valuable from here."

"Just…take the human bones. You seemed to like them well enough." Bleach said tiredly, burying her face in her hands. "Can you light this fireplace?"

"Yes."

Bleach held back an exasperated sigh. "Would you?"

"I thought I was on vacation?"

"…" The girl mumbled.

Illumi felt a sparkle of sadistic pleasure burn in him. Of course, you'd never know it from looking at his face. "What?"

"I said… …."

"Come again."

"Please! Would you,  **please** , light this fucking fire?!"

"No." Illumi answered, taking great delight in the way the girl's eyes widened in incredulity and anger. "I'm on vacation."

* * *

Tired, angry and cold, Bleach decided it was time to find the fucking Sealed Room Elmsy talked about. So, with a thick blanket around her shoulders, Bleach started to wander around the palace, cursing Illumi and fantasizing about her once-bodyguard. Maybe, when everything was done and over it, she'd pay the olive-skinned man a visit. Probably. Most likely.

"Definitely." Bleach settled. "I'm definitely paying Elmsy a visit."

"Why does this place have to be so fucking huge?" Bleach complained under her breath. "And that jackass is right; I'm cussing too much again. I'll have to fix it by the time I go back to Gon."

Then, Bleach sensed, and heard it; there was something alive close by and it had just made a weird noise. Summoning her chakrams and letting her blanket fall to the floor, Bleach stalked silently towards the direction the noise had come from. Some feet away, Bleach came to an old and large couch, covered by a dirty and dusty sheet. Behind it, she found a tiny bundle beneath the sheet, trembling and pressed to the back of the couch as if willing itself to disappear.

Letting her chakrams disappear, Bleach sighed in a mix of exasperation and relief and pulled the sheet.

"Is that a baby bear? Where is its fur?"

* * *

Hugging the baby bear to her chest, Bleach resumed searching for the Sealed Room. Once she got to the lowest level of the basement, it wasn't too hard to identify the room; it had large and beautiful double doors, full of engraved inscriptions and ornamental metal patterns.

She pushed one of the door, but it didn't bulge. Eyebrows furrowed, she tried again. And nothing.

"What the fuck? Namid!"

' _ **It won't work, dumbass.'**_ Namid stated. _ **'You need to undo the seal to get in. Hence its name: Sealed Room. Idiot.'**_

' _Great; another problem. Elmsy didn't teach me how to undo the seal… Do you know how?'_

' _ **Yes; I was with Regal and Syrea when they unsealed the doors after all. It's quite simple actually, but you'll need someone to help you. Each door's seal must be undone by a different person and at the same time.'**_

' _Oh fuck… I'll have to ask Illumi.'_

"Just fucking great."

* * *

Bleach slammed the lounge's door open, startling the little animal in her arms, but not succeeding in getting the assassin sitting on the couch to even flinch.

"Tired of wandering around like a drunk homele-" Illumi began from his place on the couch, raising his eyes from his book to the girl. He blinked. "-Is that a bear?"

"A baby bear, yes." Bleach answered as she walked in the room. "He has such thin fur… I wonder how he survived in this cold."

"Must be genetic." Illumi stated as he lowered his gaze back to his book. "He won't last long."

Bleach glared at the assassin as she walked towards the fireplace. With more delicacy than anyone would ever expect from the thief, she wrapped the baby bear in her cover and put it on the floor. Then, cursing everything and everyone, she went back to trying light the fireplace.

"What are you doing?" Illumi asked, not raising his eyes from his book.

"Cooking dinner." Bleach answered in a sarcastic and annoyed voice.

"I like my meat medium rare."

"Die and burn in hell, you fucking asshole."

* * *

_Almost an hour later_

"Success!" Bleach exclaimed and threw her hands in the air as a tiny flame began to grow in the fireplace. "Who can light a fireplace only with two little stones? I can! I'm so fucking awesome!"

Then, a pillow flew into the fireplace and fell on top of said flame. The poor source of heat was so small and weak… it didn't make it.

With eyes wide in disbelief, Bleach turned around to the assassin, who was still reading his book as if he hadn't just smothered Bleach's one source of happiness in that palace.

"You… You…" Bleach didn't know what to say; her whole body was trembling in anger. "That. Is. Fucking. It! FOOG!"

With that, Foog's chakrams materialized in Bleach's hands and she pointed them at the assassin. It took every fiber of self-restraint she had not to scream 'Hell's Punishment' and burn the assassin to a crisp – as if Illumi was stupid enough to just sit through the attack – but she held it back, clenching her jaw so tightly that she almost broke her teeth.

" _ **DO IT! LET'S TURN HIM TO ASHES!"**_

" _I… can't. Without him, I won't be able to go back to York Shin. Also, I'd end up burning the couch, aka: my bed."_

With an exasperated sigh, Bleach relaxed her body and turned one of her chakrams to the fireplace.

"Hell's Punishment."

With that defeated whisper, a small ball of fire shot from the weapon and lit the fireplace with a large and strong fire and the small bear wasted no time in crawling out of the blanket and onto Bleach's lap to enjoy the heat coming from the embers. Bleach watched the bear for a second before a small smile stretched across her lips; it reminded her of Gon.

Illumi observed the girl before him with interest; it was intriguing how many emotions transpired in her eyes.

His great-grandfather said that the Chosen One had seven hidden powers; one for each colour of the rainbow. He had already managed to anger her to the point she lost it and showed him one of them; it was a matter of time before he found out about the others. Also, it felt so good to make her lose her cool like that… he wondered what else he could make that girl show him.

…

There was so much snow outside; more than enough to put out that fi-

Wordlessly, the thief turned her neck in a sinisterly slow pace to stare at Illumi with a chilling gaze.

"You put this fire out, and I will fucking cook  **you**  for dinner."

Illumi actually felt like smiling at that threat, though, of course, he didn't move a muscle of his face to show it.

* * *

"So, in order to access the room in which your toys-"

"Weapons."

"-are stored, you will need my help." Illumi concluded, taking great pleasure in the way Bleach's jaw clenched in stress. "I thought I was on vacations?"

"Fuck you."

"That really isn't the best way to convince someone to make you a favour." The assassin scolded, waving his index finger in front of Bleach's face.

The vein that was now pulsing on the girl's forehead almost made Illumi's eyes shine in amusement. Almost. Well, actually, they were the ever dull, hope-sucking black.

"Favour? FAVOUR?!" The girl snapped, stalking angrily towards the unmoving assassin. "I'm paying you 270.000.000 jenny!"

"And we're back to the money. You're quite cheap, aren't you?"

"Yes, I'm fucking cheap! I don't know how much money your family have, but, where I come from, 270.000.000 jenny is a shit lot of money! I grew up in Meteor City, damn it! Before Ging, I had to steal and pros- I had to steal to keep living! During the Hunter Exam, you said I ate too much for a skinny girl! Well! Why do you think that is, jackass?! For many years, I didn't know when my next meal was going to happen so I had to fill up as much as I could! So, don't you fucking whine at me for demanding a good job from you! I paid 270.000.000 jenny for a fucking  **tour**! The least you could do was help me out with this!"

At the end, Bleach was a centimetre away from the assassin, glaring up at him with heavy breathing and with angry tears threatening to spill from her narrowed eyes.

"So?" She demanded at least. "Are you going to help me?"

"No." Illumi answered, smirking inside. Deep inside. "You paid me to bring you here. Period. You want me to do something more? Pay me more. I don't do anything for free."

Resisting the urge to sucker punch the fucking pincushion, Bleach turned around, pulling at her hair in anger. Illumi really made her miss drinking.

"Fine…" She breathed out after some seconds. "How much for your help in opening the Sealed Room?"

"Do you have about… let's see… 5 million jenny with you?"

"No. You know I don't."

"Then why are you asking? You can't pay me."

"I'll pay you when we get back to York Shin."

"You're a first time client. Payments first."

"You're saying that there's no way you'll help me, then." The girl stated, burying her head in her hands as she paced in the room. "That this whole trip, this extremely long and expensive torture session, was for nothing."

"I never said that." Illumi stated, crossing his arms over his chest. "All you have to do is find another way to pay me."

Bleach didn't like the sound of it. Not at all.

"And that way would be…?"

"Hmm… Let's see…" The assassin wondered out-loud, tapping his index finger on his lower lips theatrically. "Ah! I know!" He let out, slamming his right fist softly in his left palm. "Why don't you serve me for a day? Now, it's… 23:08 hours. If you follow my every command until tomorrow at exactly 23:08, I will help you."

Not for a second did Bleach stop pacing around. That is, until the assassin walked to her and offered his hand.

"Do I have a choice?" Bleach asked, not even trying to hold back the sneer that was forming itself on her lips. She knew what that pervert assassin wanted from her. When a man wanted a woman to 'serve him', he could only mean one thing. Bleach had experienced that many times, before meeting Ging.

"Not if you want to get this over and done with in this trip and avoid spending another 270.000.000 jenny to return here."

"Fine." The girl said, shaking Illumi's hand with more strength than necessary. "Deal."

"Good. Now, take off your contact lenses; I want to see your eyes. And get on your hands and knees."

* * *

"I. Can't. Fucking. Believe it!"

"Stop talking. Furniture doesn't talk." Illumi spoke as he turned a page of his book. "Also, you're relaxing your arms."

Glaring holes at the floor, Bleach shut her mouth and straightened her arms, hating the feeling of Illumi's feet laid on her back.

How in the world did she end up serving as a coffee table for fucking Illumi?!

* * *

"I'll walk around the place now. While I do that, you wait here int the lounge and write down all you know about your seven Nen abilities. You won't leave out any details, alright?"

"… Fine. How do you even know I have seven different Nen powers?"

"How do you think?"

"Maha told you, didn't he?"

"Yes. And it's Maha-sama to you."

* * *

"It's time for lunch. Go cook us something."

"There is no food."

"There is no food, what?"

"There is no food… Master."

"We're in an abandoned palace surrounded by a forest. You're a Hunter. Hunt something. Actually, don't even bother; kill that defective bear you found and roast it."

"Fuck you! No one is eating the bear. I'll get something else."

"I don't understand why you want to keep that bear alive; it is so bizarre and useless… Ah! I see. It reminds you of yourself, doesn't it?"

"I said. Fuck you."

* * *

"This is, undoubtedly, the most horrible meal I ever had."

"Then. Cook. Your. Own. Fucking. Diner. …Master."

"What in the world gave you the idea that I can to cook? I have butlers to do that for me."

"And what made you think that  **I** could cook?"

"You lived alone for your whole life and you don't know how to cook? Really?"

"…I never had a kitchen of my own to mess around with."

"Poverty clung to you like a disease, huh?"

"Fuck you. Master."

"Maybe later-"

"Hopefully never."

"-Now, I lost my book. Go find it."

"...Where did you lose it?"

"…"

"Master."

"In the Palace. Somewhere."

* * *

Six hours later,a shivering Bleach stormed into the lounge with the blasted book in her hands. Illumi was napping on the couch, though he sat up as soon as Bleach entered. It was hard for the girl not to throw the thing on the assassin's face.

"There's your fucking book. Master." Bleach spat, dropping the book on his stomach instead.

"It took you long enough." Illumi commented as he stood up from the couch and walked to the fireplace.

"Sorry if the terrace was the last place I looked for. Master." Bleach spat as she dropped her weight on the couch unceremoniously.  _Fucking bastard did that on purpose. Just to make me run around this shit-place like a retarded._

"Well, it's 22:11. You still owe me 57 minutes of your time. Now, on your hands and knees."

Bleach rolled her eyes and dropped to the ground. "And we're back to the coffee table."

"No. On the couch."

Eyebrows furrowed, Bleach raised her eyes to the assassin. Wordlessly, Illumi turned around to face her with his emotionless eyes as he took a condom from one of his coat's pockets.

Eyes narrowed, Bleach jumped to her feet. "What the fuck are you doing?"

"You know what I'm doing. It's not the first time you do that."

"What? How do you-"

" _Before Ging, I had to steal and pros- I had to steal to keep living!"_ Illumi mimicked Bleach's voice with eerily precision. "Please. Do you honestly think that I don't know that  _pros-_ was the beginning of  _prostitute myself_?"

"I never wanted to do that…" Bleach spoke as she watched Illumi take off his coat and long-sleeved shirt.

"I believe in you. Take off your clothes."

"I still don't want to that." The assassin was now sitting on the couch and removing his boots.

"I know." Illumi's voice was as emotionless as ever. "Now, take off your clothes."

"But you're going to make me do it anyway."

Dressed only in his pants, Illumi stood up from the couch and stared down at the girl's narrowed eyes.

His great-grandfather was right: those rainbow eyes were something else entirely. Never had the assassin found something as endearing as those clear eyes. Nothing in the world could show as much emotion as them and it felt amazing to make those eyes shine with barely controlled anger, sadness and damage.

Illumi loved to manipulate people and those eyes were the absolute proof that, at that moment, he was in complete control of the one person that had ever managed to say to his Nen needles to go fuck themselves and lived to tell.

It was obvious that this night wasn't about love. It wasn't even be about sex. This night was solely about control.

"Take off your clothes." Illumi commanded, grabbing Bleach's face with his right hand. "I won't repeat myself."

* * *

**ATTENTION. LEMON STARTS NOW.**

For the 100th time that day, Bleach felt like killing the assassin.

Naked and kneeling on the floor, between Illumi's open legs, Bleach glared up at the emotionless-looking man.

"Why are you making me do this when you don't even want me?" Bleach demanded.

"Who said I don't want you?"

"You're not even hard."

Softly, gently even, Illumi laid his right hand on the girl's cheek and started to caress her lips with his thumb. "Well, make me."

Clenching her fists by her sides, Bleach leaned in slowly and took the assassin's member in her mouth. Her rhythm was slow at first; she took her time, taking it deeply in her throat while she sucked softly. Then she unclenched one of her hands and raised it from her side to cup the man's balls softly as she sped up her blowjob, bopping her head up and down at a pace that made the assassin grab a fistful of her hair.

"Not bad at all." Illumi commented in his still monotone voice. "But I guess that, after so many partners, it was to be expected that you had such skill. Isn't that right, pretty whore?"

Oh, how hard it was for Bleach not to castrate Illumi with her teeth then and there.

* * *

Bleach couldn't help but compare Illumi to Cressar.

Both were control freaks that loved owning people, but, at the very least, the assassin wasn't violent. As a matter of fact, from her kneeled position on the couch, as Illumi fucked her from behind, Bleach felt nothing. No pain and no pleasure.

Bleach had many partners in her lifetime. Most of them were terrible and/or traumatizing. Actually, only Harry and Elmsy were good to her… And, of course, there was her dream-relationship with Ging. Ging was perfect. In her imagination, at least.

The point is, good or bad (or terrible), Bleach always felt something whenever she had sex, but Illumi's movements were so methodical and controlled that it was as if she was being fucked by a robot.

Still, when Bleach felt Illumi's hand push down her head and press her cheek on the couch, she felt something inside her break. Her eyes glazed over as tears threatened to flow from them. But she held them back; the last time Bleach cried was because of Pakunoda's death – something worth crying for - and she was NOT replacing that memory for one that involved Illumi fucking her like she was a whore. She wasn't. Not anymore.

Still, never had the girl felt so used and worthless in her life. She was being fucked by a sociopath assassin that didn't even feel attracted to her; just so, he would help her open a fucking door!

When Illumi noticed that the girl beneath him was close to crying, he tightened his hand around a fistful of her wavy hair and lowered his upper body so his chest was pressed tightly to her back and his lips right by her ear.

"Turn around." The assassin ordered in a monotone whisper before raising himself just enough so he could grab Bleach's shoulder and turn her around roughly. Not a second later, he was back inside of her, driving in and out in a torturously slow pace.

"Speed up, already." Bleach whispered in a broken voice, shutting her eyes tightly and turning her head to the side. "Can't you just… get this over with?"

Illumi actually breathed heavily at the sight of the girl beneath him; she was the pure image of damage and vulnerability. If only she'd open her eyes…

The assassin caressed Bleach's cheek with his thumb.

"What are you doing?" Bleach demanded, not resisting the urge to open her eyes and stare at the assassin in confusion and anger.

"What? It was just a caress. Women like this kind of romanticism, no?"

"I don't; it's too… gentle. Intimate." Bleach scolded, turning her head back to the side. "I don't give a shit about you and vice-versa. This is business. Just cum already."

"So crude." Illumi commented, not resisting the urge to smirk as he grabbed Bleach's chin and turned her face back to him. "Now, until I  _cum_ , as you so elegantly put it, you will not look away or close your eyes." Then, the assassin gave an especially hard thrust that made Bleach gasp; that had felt… good. "It's an order."

That made Bleach forget her temporary pleasure and narrow her eyes in anger. "Fine."

And so started the weirdest staring contest of history: a clash between two dark holes, that sucked out all of the light and warmth and any hope-related quality around them, and two circular rainbows, that always tried to seem more threatening and tougher than they actually were.

Soon, Illumi's rhythm grew more frantic and intense.

Still, the only real sign that Illumi was actually enjoying himself was the way his hands tightened around fistfuls of Bleach's hair. He was barely sweating, his breathing was a little heavier than normal but still under control, and his face wasn't at all flushed. It frustrated Bleach how much in control that asshole appeared while she couldn't, for the life of her, keep her eyes from showing all of the anger, emptiness and self-loathing she was feeling.

As Bleach held back her tears from sheer stubbornness, Illumi's rhythm gained more and more in speed and need. She felt his member pulse inside her and knew he was ready to orgasm. But, through an amazing will-power, he held it back and Bleach's glare darkened even more The bastard was doing it on purpose; holding back his release just so he could keep torturing her for as long as possible.

Sure enough, at exactly 23:08, Illumi buried his head on the side of Bleach's neck and allowed himself to finish. His body trembled and his hip twitched clumsily as his held-back orgasm hit him hard.

**LEMON ENDS HERE.**

Without a word, the assassin stood up from the couch, threw his used condom in the lit fireplace and started to dress himself.

The girl kept her eyes glued to the ceiling. They didn't shed a tear during the whole time, Illumi noticed.  _Impressive._

"We'll open that Sealed Room of yours first thing in the morning."

Then, Illumi left.

* * *

After spending some minutes staring at the ceiling in a mix of self-pity and anger, Bleach stood up, grabbed the cover that had fallen on the floor during her and Illumi's… activities, and walked to the garden. Despite the freezing wind and snow, Bleach wandered around as if in a trance, until she came face-to-face with a large and frozen pound.

From his place at a second store window, Illumi watched the girl let the cover fall from her shoulders, summon her red chakrams and use their 'Hell's Punishment' power to heat the ice in the pound to the point that it became boiling water. The assassin wasn't surprised to see the girl dive into the pound without a second thought.

"Wonderful. She'll manage to burn herself and get a cold, this way. She is even more self-destructive than Killu… I should've inserted a needle in her forehead when I had the chance; she could use some Manipulation."

Really, it annoyed him to see that girl treating herself in such a careless way; she had no right to put her health at risk like that. Having that Guardian of Cure of not, she just had no right.

Still, he turned around and walked towards his bed; he was not going down to the garden to get her.

It was cold outside.

* * *

After that scalding bath, Bleach got dressed and walked to the village. It was eerily desert and dark; every house, cabana and store had their lights off and their doors locked. That wasn't a problem for Bleach though; some locks wouldn't keep her from getting what she had come for.

For some minutes, Bleach just wandered around the village, ignoring the cold wind that blew through her coat and bit into her flesh. Then, she spotted what she was looking for: a liquor store.

Bleach didn't think twice; she walked to the store, picked the lock, grabbed the first bottle of whisky she found and left, relocking the door. The store's owner was sleeping on the back room but he didn't even stir in his sleep, for, as the girl committed her theft, the store remained absolutely silent.

* * *

Back in her room in the Castere palace, Bleach used her right foot to push the hairless bear, which was sleeping right in front of the lit fireplace, a little to the side, and sat down. The animal raised its head for a moment, but soon was back asleep.

Staring numbly at the flames, Bleach opened the bottle in her hands and raised it to her lips.

" _You're ready to take care of yourself now. Keep sober and become a great Hunter_."

She tilted the bottle.

" _You stole some things, so what? I killed lots of people in the past and Gon still accepted me. You still accepted me, Bleach."_

" _Killua…"_

" _We're friends. That's not changing anytime soon."_

The first drop of booze touched her tongue.

" _Gon, on our plane ride, I'm teaching you about sarcasm."_

" _Alright!" The boy agreed innocently, grabbing Bleach's hand and pulling her to run faster with him. "Let's go, then! YAHOO!"_

As the image of Gon holding her hand surged in her mind, Bleach widened her eyes and, with more strength than necessary, threw the bottle in the fire. The flames expanded for a moment, scaring the bear and licking at the girl's face but she didn't move.

Slowly, a smirk stretched across Bleach's lips and her eyes recovered their usual spark.

"Ging, Gon, and even you Killua… you're all fucking awesome."


	20. The Palace: A Twisted Attraction

Bleach hadn't slept at all during the night and yet, when the sun began to rise, she was stalking her way to the assassin's bedroom with a wide smile on her face.

She thought a lot last night about what Illumi had done to her and came to the conclusion that she really shouldn't him get to her as Cressar did. Because, in the end, she had done nothing wrong, nothing that should earn shame and self-disgust. The guilty belonged to Illumi alone for exploring her situation of dependence in him like that.  _He_  was the disgusting one, not her.

She also realized that she didn't need to fear him making more advances on her. It was obvious that last night was nothing more than the assassin's sick and primitive attempt of affirming his dominance over her. He felt no attraction to her whatsoever and she would NOT give him the opportunity to force her into the submissive role once again.

With that in mind, Bleach forced a cocky smirk on her face and laid her hand on the doorknob of the assassin's bedroom.

* * *

To say that Illumi didn't expect Bleach to search for him on the following morning would be very inaccurate. He  _knew_ the girl would come to him to ask for his help in opening that door of hers. As such, the man slept with an eye open, expecting –  _anticipating -_  to hear her soft footsteps in the hallway. To feel her standing there, in front of his door, hesitating to knock on the wood. To smell the damage and disgust radiating from her as she tried to pretend that nothing happened last night. To see her insecurity as she desperately avoided any sort of eye contact with him

What he didn't expect was for her to use that demonic stealth of hers to practically materialize by his bedside at wee hours in the morning, slamming two metal pot lids with gusto, as if she was playing the fucking cymbals.

Reflexes enhanced by years of arduous training had the assassin jumping at the intruder's throat in less than a millisecond after the loud and obnoxious sound was made, claws ready to slice through skin. However, instead of meeting the soft flesh of the intruder's neck, Illumi's hand hit what seemed to be a hardy wall of a translucent orange colour.

Heartbeat returning to its regular slow pace, Illumi regarded the smirking figure on the other side of the strange wall, using every ounce of will power and experience of keeping his emotionless mask not to show the girl how annoyed and, in all honesty, shocked he was to see her there.

"Rise and fucking shine!" Bleach yelled at the top of her lungs and slammed the lids together once again. "It's morning already!"

"What do you think you're doing?" The assassin demanded in a bored voice.

Bleach widened her smirk and gave herself a mental slap in the back. Despite of the emotionless and unimpressed look on Illumi's face, she knew she had caught him by surprise with her wake-up call from the way he jumped to kill her. And she knew - from experience - that being awaken like that was more than enough to anger anyone with a pulse, no matter how stoic the person looked.

"It's morning already." The girl explained, never once moving her eyes from Illumi's. "You remember what you said last night, right after you finished fucking me, don't you?  _We'll open that Sealed Room of yours first thing in the morning._  Well! The sun has just begun to rise, so it's technically morning already! Let's go!"

With that, the she turned around as something seemed to disappear from the inside of the pocket of her coat and the orange-ish wall was no more. Without a word, Illumi grabbed his coat and followed her out of the room, all the while thinking of ways to make her pay for actually being able to sneak up on him like that.

Strangely, mixed with the annoyance Illumi felt towards the girl in front of him, was a small amount of respect. Being asleep or not, the fact that she had managed to sneak up on him like that was no small feat and deserved praise from the assassin; the thief's stealth was one of the best he had ever seen. Also, the way she was dealing with what happened last night left no room to argue about her mental resilience. Illumi knew that what he had done to her was not that different from rape and yet, despite the self-loathing and hate she had felt during the act, she was now parading around the palace with her head held-high. She wasn't making excuses or denying the occurrence and, most of all, she was looking him straight in the eye with no fear whatsoever.

Sure, the fact that she had prostituted herself in the past could've helped the girl to develop a harder shell than most women when it came to dealing with the after-matches of being obligated to give her body to man she didn't desire - or even like for that matter. But her acceptance of the situation was simply… unnatural _._

Suddenly, Illumi felt something rise in his chest. An almost irrational urge to twinkle with the gir- with the _woman_  walking in front of him, until he had dissected all of her. Until he found out exactly what made her tick. And then, after he understood her better than she did herself, he'd finally be able to bend her to his will.

Having the woman wrapped around his little finger was something he had planned since the beginning. After all, she was one of Killu's "friends" and any source of information about his adorable little brother would be more than appreciated. What the assassin didn't plan was for the woman to behave so unconventionally and be so resistant to his mental torture. He had intended to break her and pick up the pieces later, to make her completely dependant on him, but now... he didn't thing that was the best approach anymore. He would have to develop another plan.

But it didn't matter. In the end, no one was immune to his Manipulation. Not Killu and definitely-

_-not her._

* * *

In the dark basement, Bleach and Illumi stood in front of the double doors of the Sealed Room.

"All you have to do is use Ren to concentrate some Aura in your hand and put it in this door's symbol at the exact same moment I do on the other door." Bleach explained, laying her hand on the right spot to illustrate the action. "There are some words in a strange language to be said as well, but I'll handle that on my own."

"That sounds a little too simple." Illumi said, taking a step closer to the woman, who had her back turned to him, and lowering his torso so his lips were by her ear. "Isn't there anything else you wish me to do for you?"

Inside, the assassin scowled at the fact that the woman in front of him didn't as much as flinch from his close proximity. Instead, she turned around with an unimpressed expression on her face that told him she knew exactly what he was playing at and that she was not falling for it. Then, suddenly, something challenging shone in her eyes and she puffed out her chest as a smirk stretched on her lips; a teasing smirk that had the assassin raising a curious eyebrow at what she'd do. For all the time he had spent with her, it was the first time Illumi saw the woman behaving so… seductively towards him. It was a bit unsettling, but not unpleasant.

Dark eyes locked on a set of white teeth biting gently on a plump lower lip.

_Not unpleasant at all._

Slowly, the woman reached up to the inside of his coat's collar, where some of his needles were pinned to the fabric, and grabbed the round end of one of them with her thumb and index finger; her knuckles grazing the assassin's neck teasingly. Illumi's hand closed around her wrist just as she started to pull the needle out.

"What are you doing?" He asked in a childishly curious.

"Let me borrow one of your needles just for a couple of seconds? Please?" The woman purred, raising to her tip-toes so she could breathe out in his ear. "I promise I'll behave.  _Master._ "

Illumi's grip on the woman's wrist grew tighter, as did something else.

"I won't ask again. What are you doing?"

Dropping her act, the woman retreated and rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Fuck, man. Must you always be a control freak?"

"Yes. Now explain what your intentions are." The assassin spoke matter-of-factly, a little disappointed by the woman returning to her usual, non-seductive and annoying self.

"It's to open the doors." She explained with a scowl on her face, pulling her hand free. "We need to touch the symbols with Castere blood on our hands. I was just going to use one of your needles to pierce my skin a little and smear some of my blood on our hands. Nothing big. And before you ask, no, I have no fucking diseases that you should worry about. And yes, this information comes from actual blood-tests."

"That's nice, but this was not what I meant." Illumi responded, crossing his arms over his chest, appearing completely bored.

That had Bleach's teasing smirk returning to her face. "Oh? What did you mean, then?"

"You know." The assassin answered, before tilting his head to the side in a seeming curious fashion. "Or did I fuck you so hard that you hit your head on the couch's armrest last night and are now suffering of memory loss? I thought you were more resilient than that,  _pretty whore_."

Bleach's contacts covered eyes darkened with anger, but she refused to explode at the assassin. This was what he wanted after all: to get under her skin and manipulate her in feeling what he wanted her to feel. So, instead of giving the man a piece of her mind as she wanted to, she forced an acid smirk on her lips and raised a challenging eyebrow at him.

"Do you call  _that_  hard-fucking? Please, if it wasn't for you demanding me to keep my eyes open I'd have slept through it and not even felt you inside me." The woman then lowered her eyes to Illumi's crotch shamelessly. "I didn't really pay attention last night, but I guess you don't have much to show below the belt, huh?"

"What I have to show is more than enough. Maybe it is you who is a little over-used?"

"Tsk. I didn't hear any fucking complaints last night. As a matter of fact, from the way your body shivered and twitched at the end, it seemed to me that you came hard and good in my  _over-used_  body." The woman answered, smirk growing more acid by the second. "Poor little me, on the other hand… I didn't even get wet. Good thing we have a village nearby full of  _real men_  willing to satisfy a frustrated woman."

Though appearing to be extremely bored by the (pointless) conversation, Illumi was thoroughly amused by the woman's retorts.  _Such a vulgar woman._

"You felt what I wanted you to feel: self-disgust, anger and emptiness. All very fitting to a piece of trash such as yourself."

Bleach scoffed at hearing the assassin's low blow as if his words meant nothing to her, but, on the inside, she felt her self-confidence crumble as the words hit too close to home for comfort. She had to think of Ging and Gon, of Killua, of Elmsy, of Leorio and Kurapika, of Zushi and Wing, of Ubo, Paku, Nobu, Kuroro, and everyone else in Meteor City. The woman had to think hard in everyone that meant something to her because she knew she meant something for them as well, and that made her feel as if she wasn't worthless. As if she was more than a weak and thieving whore that had to depend on Ging to live.

"Whatever. You still owe this piece of trash a favour, so shut the fuck up and give me one of your needles so we can open this fucking door and get this shit over with."

For some seconds, Illumi didn't move and just stared at the hand raised in front of him, demanding to be given a needle. Slowly, his eyes moved up to the woman's and he felt sparks of sensation go straight to his groin. Yes, their appealing rainbow colour was hidden by those dull, brown contacts that she always wore, but they were still a transparent pool of emotions to him. No matter how well the thief played the confident part, her eyes showed him how hard his words truly hit her and how bad they made her feel. He knew that all she wanted to do at the moment was turn away from him and pretend they had never met.

Yet, she stood her ground and her eyes kept glaring hatefully at his, challenging.

Not daring to avert his gaze, Illumi raised his hand and retrieved a needle from his coat's collar. He then stretched his hand in the woman's direction, offering her the needle's round, yellow end.

At the moment the woman moved to grab the needle, Illumi used his free hand to grab her wrist and spin her around, crushing her back to his front and securing her in place with his arm encircling her torso, from her left shoulder to her right hip.

Bleach's eyes widened when she felt the beginning of a hard-on pressing on the small of her back.

"The fuck do y-?!"

"Raise your hand." Illumi cut in in a monotone voice as he raised the needle to the woman's eye-level. "I'll show you how it's done."

"No. I can do it myself."

"Have you ever used this kind of needle before?"

"I have never used any kind of needle before, you fucking creep." The woman spat. "Now let me go. I'm not letting you fucking hurt me."

"On the contrary. I'm trying to keep you from pain." The assassin spoke, laying his chin on the top of Bleach's head. "With my skill and knowledge of human anatomy, I can prickle your skin just enough for the necessary amount of blood to come out without you feeling anything."

"I don't fucking care." She growled out. "I don't want you fucking probing me!"

"I've already probed you so much last night, what's the harm of allowing me to do so a little more?"

"I'm serious, you piece of shit! Let me go!"

Ignoring the pressing of the assassin's arousal to her back, Bleach started to wiggle and shove at the man behind her, trying to release herself from his hold. And the motherfucker didn't bulge! _The fuck is this guy made of?!_

Smirking inside, Illumi let go of the woman, allowing her to tumble forward and away from him before whipping her head around to give him a hateful glare. The assassin didn't say anything and just threw the needle to the floor, lodging it in front of her feet.

Though not showing it, Illumi watched with sadistic satisfaction as the woman bent down to pick up the needled, never moving her suspicious eyes from him. For a moment, her eyes flickered down to his crotch, glaring at it accusingly and scowling in disgust, something that only amused the assassin further.

"Have you no shame? Parading that hard-on around like that?"

The man dropped his head to the side, hiding the amusement he was feeling at the woman's words. His slight arousal was not even showing through his pants. Still, he couldn't help but tease.

"Are you offering to take care of it for me?"

"Fuck no."

"Then don't complain."

"Pervert."

Silently, the assassin observed the woman press the needle's sharp end to her left palm and draw blood. She was holding the weapon so wrongly it made him cringe internally, but he let it go without commenting on it. The harsh way the woman was biting her lower lip and the dilatation of the pupils of her eyes as she felt the sting of the needle was far more worthy of his attention.

He couldn't deny: it was truly curious how that woman managed to get a physical reaction from him so fast.

She was pretty, but not nearly as gorgeous as the women the assassin occasionally took to his bed and, even if she was that beautiful, Illumi wasn't one to be driven by simple lust. Whenever he took a lover for the night, it was because he had something to gain from it or simply to relieve stress. He had never set his eyes on a specific woman and said "I want  _her._ " His partners, as gorgeous as they were, were the simple result of the occasion.

Was this attraction a result of the fact that she was the only one who managed to overcome his Manipulation Nen? No. If that was the case, he'd been wanting to kill her, not fuck her. Again.

Her eyes, maybe? Indeed. Those eyes were, without doubt, the most appealing physical attribute in her, making him twitch with excitement at the prospect of making they shine with the basest sensations a person could feel; the prospect knowing  _he_  was the one making her feel whatever he wanted her to feel. Still, no matter how mesmerizing those eyes were, they were not enough to make him feel such a strong attraction.

Just what was it that made him want her so?

"Hey! Asshole!" Illumi blinked as the object of his musings settled her narrowed eyes on him and raised a bloodied palm to him. "Give me your fucking hand."

Despite issuing the order, the woman didn't wait for him to raise the limb in her direction and grabbed his hand roughly, smearing her blood all over it.

_Ah, that's it._

It was her attitude. The way she held herself above all of the bad things that happened to her – and, judging by the ugly scars he saw on her back during their little tryst, they were quite bad – and kept walking. She took any kind of shit he threw at her in stride and threw it back at him with more fervour, all the while wearing that mocking smirk of hers. She didn't let the people and things around her decide her fate. She was sturdy and strong.  _Just like Killu._

As the woman gave her back to the assassin, a wide and frighteningly sadistic smile stretched on his lips.

Illumi just couldn't wait to break her down.

* * *

The large double doors of the Sealed Room scratched roughly at the floor as they opened, making Bleach cringe at the horrible sound. She didn't have much time to wallow in that annoying sound though, for, as soon as the doors were open, an intense wave of murderous Nen flew out of the room, making her let out a gasp of agony before her body automatically adjusted its Ren to defend itself.

"What was that?"

Eyes wide, Bleach turned her head to Illumi, who was holding the other door and staring at her with eyes that, was the man a little bit less apathic, would be glaring at her in accusation.

"Nothing for you to worry about." Bleach answered, narrowing her eyes. "Just hold the doors open; I'm going in."

Without allowing the assassin time to protest, the woman let go of the door she was holding and marched into the room. She felt the air around her grow heavier and a small feeling of claustrophobia grew into her. Without thinking, she turned her head to look over her shoulder and couldn't help but feel somewhat reassured at seeing Illumi there, holding the heavy double doors effortlessly.

The assassin dropped his head to the side innocently. "Miss me already?"

Bleach rolled her eyes and turned her head back to stare forward. The room was completely dark and full of dust and spider-webs. Right in front of her, hanging on the wall, there was a long scythe that, due to the darkness in the room, seemed to be completely black. On the right side of the side, there was a small display case, in which she could see two bracelets of what seemed to be a very dark green colour. On the scythe's left side, there was a pedestal holding a staff; its shaft was of a yellow colour and raised in a twisted pattern, ending in a root-like shape that held a black stone. It was not longer than 130cm.

"Eeny, meeny, miny, mo. Catch a tiger by the toe." Bleach sang in a playful voice pointing at each of the weapons clock-wise. "If he hollers, let him go-"

"You can't be serious."

Bleach smirked. Illumi's voice sounded  _almost_  exasperated – well, not really, but a woman can dream.

"-Eeny, meeny, miny, mo." The thief finished, pointing to the staff. "Iaro, I choose you!"

Smiling, Bleach sauntered off to the staff. For a moment, she stood there, just staring at it with hesitant eyes. Finally she sighed.

"Illumi?" Bleach called.

"Yes?"

"Whatever happens in here, don't you fucking move from your spot. You can't let these doors close."

"Why wou-"

Before she could hear the rest of the assassin's sentence, Bleach shot her right hand forward and grabbed the staff. Painful shockwaves ran up and down her body and she felt like screaming, but no sound came out.

Illumi watched the woman fall to the ground convulsing violently. Her eyes were bugging out, a foaming saliva was pouring out from her mouth and, from the smell, the assassin knew she had soiled herself. There was no denying his surprise at the scene developing in front of him. In all honesty, he wanted to march into the room and remove the staff from his client's hand immediately, before the electricity damaged that potentially useful – and amusing - brain of hers, but he kept himself in place. His job was to keep the door open after all.

Still, his fingers reached for some of his needles. Three minutes. If the woman didn't stop convulsing in three minutes, he'd use his Manipulation to bring her to him and snatch that dammed staff from her hands.

Three minutes.

_Starting now._


	21. The Palace: Hot And Cold

_Bleach shot her right hand forward and grabbed the staff. Painful shockwaves ran up and down her body and she felt like screaming, but no sound came out._

_Illumi watched the woman fall to the ground convulsing violently._

_His fingers reached for some of his needles. Three minutes. If the woman didn't stop convulsing in three minutes, he'd use his Manipulation to bring her to him and snatch that dammed staff from her hands._

* * *

Bleach didn't know where she was or what was happening to her. The electric current running through her body didn't allow her to see, hear or feel anything. Her head hit the hard ground repeatedly and with enough force to draw blood from her skull, but even that was nothing but a little buzz to the woman as all of her muscles contracted and relaxed in complete chaos.

A minute passed before the current stopped and allowed Bleach some sort of control over herself.

Disoriented, the thief didn't dare to move. Her arms and legs still trembled every few seconds, her breathing was completely erratic and her brain was incapable of forming a coherent thought. The only thing the woman was certain of was that her heart was not good; it beat impossibly fast, but its movements were so uncoordinated that they barely pumped any blood to the rest of her body, then, for a brief and cruel moment, it stopped beating altogether and that was the worst. Bleach felt as if she was going to die.

Minutes passed before Bleach had enough control over her body to open her eyes. Still in a state of grogginess, she barely registered the large metal bird floating above her, even if the width between the tips of its wings was of about 2 meters and the colour of its body was of a predominant yellow that could attract the attention of anything in a 100-meter radius. Black thunders streaked down the bird's body, from his head to its wings and tail. And there was a black shackle around its neck, connecting the bird to the shackle around Bleach's neck.

"What'z wrong, girl?" The bird spoke in a surprisingly deep voice. "Do I zcare you zo much you had to zoil yourself?"

For seconds, Bleach just stared at the bird with unfocused eyes as her still sluggish brain processed the words that it had just spoken. Then, she had to wait until her brain understood their meaning. She felt warm and wet on the area of her waist; she was lying in a pool of her own urine and faeces.

Without even trying to say anything, the woman raised her trembling hands to the chain connected to the shackle around her neck, wanting nothing more than to break it. Her arms were too uncoordinated though and she missed the chain. Repeatedly.

"What? Already trying to leave, Chozen One?" The bird mocked. "Won't you try to convinze me to zerve you again? Don't you want to become my mazter?"

Bleach's mouth moved, trying to form words, but no understandable word came out. Still, Iaro heard loud and clear all that Bleach wanted to say because for, as long as that chain connected them, her thoughts and intentions were transmitted to him.

" _I know the Castere fucked you up pretty bad. I understand you all hate them. But I didn't do shit to any of you! I didn't even know you fuckers existed until some months ago and you all are set to kill me! Why must you shitheads make the sins of the Castere my own? I am a single person, not a whole fucking family!"_

Iaro paused. The woman was right. What he was doing to her was no better that what the Castere did to him and the other guardians when Iadbo was released from his weapon and went rampage on them. He was punishing an innocent for another's sin.

" _I took Foog and Eglo's abuse, but I won't allow you to fucking humiliate me like that! I won't stand as you make me shit myself as if I am some kind of fucking invalid! I, literally, don't need this shit!"_

"Choz-"

Before Iaro could finish the word, Bleach's hands finally managed to grab the chain and pull it from her collar, ending her connection with the entity of Lightning.

* * *

Back in the real word, Bleach was still suffering from the after-matches of being electrocuted, but, at least, she had enough self-control to breath normally again. She noticed Iaro's staff had dematerialized from her hand.

_Namid, why are you taking so long to heal me? I still can't move._

_**Dumbass! Iaro fried many of your nervous system's cells! Neurons are very hard to regenerate, you know? So stop complaining and just give me some time! You'll be able to move soon, spoiled brat!** _

_Alright. Sorry…_

_**What? Since when do you apologize?** _

_Since I'm tired as fuck and not in the mood to argue._

"So, you're awake, huh?" Illumi's voice came from the doorway. "Took you long enough."

Bleach tried to tell the assassin to go fuck himself, but all that left her lips were some animalistic grunts and groans. As she emitted those guttural sounds, Bleach forced her still spamming body to roll over so she could raise herself to her hands and knees. When she finally looked down at herself, Bleach felt a horrid smell reach her nose and tears prick her eyes. It was just too much humiliation.

Still, the thief forced herself to stand up in her still wobbly legs and take a trembling step forward. She fell down immediately and, with her muscles still not functioning properly, her reflexes were those of a baby, making her hit her chin on the hard ground.

Suddenly, she heard Cressar's voice on her head.  _Crawl to me, my little pet._

As she laid there on the ground, Bleach prayed to some divinity out there to put her out of her misery. She had been reduced to a fucking animal that couldn't talk, walk or control her own bowel movements. And all in front of a mind-fucking sadistic psychopath that got off on making her feel like a worthless piece of shit.

 _It could be worse._ Bleach told herself.  _It could be in front of Gon and Killua._ Indeed, the woman wouldn't know what to do if the boys saw her like that; she wouldn't have been able to live through the looks of pity they'd surely give her.

With that in mind, Bleach pushed her arms of the floor, getting back on her hands and knees and noting there was a large puddle of blood on the floor, where her face had been. It was a lot of blood; all of it couldn't have come from the small cut she had on her chin. Not in any condition to dwell on the matter, the thief started to crawl.

Towards the display case with Trera's bracelets.

"Where do you think you're going?" Illumi's voice came once again. "The door is over here."

"I…I'm still… not fini…shed." Bleach finally managed to slur out.

"Surely you can finish your self-flagellation tomorrow. These things have laid here for decades now; some more hours won't matter."

Bleach ignored the assassin.

"Have you no shame? Crawling like an animal, covered in your own filth... Get out of this room and go take a bath. You're disgusting and the smell is bothering me."

Bleach stopped moving and tears ran free from her eyes.

"Fuck… you…" She breathed out in a whimpering voice. "I won't… let you… touch me… again."

With her downwards eyes, Bleach missed the amusement and surprise that shone in the assassin's eyes before he recovered his stoic expression.

"Aren't we conceited? What gave you the idea I'd want to lay with you again? What happened to  _me not even wanting you_?"

"I'm not… stupid… I know that… last night… you just… fucked me because… you wanted… me… to feel like shit… That's why I… teased you today… I thought you… wouldn't feel… anything… and I wanted… to show that… I didn't care about… our tryst. But… you actually… got hard… You were not… supposed to." Bleach explained, forcing each word out as if it pained her to do so. "In the end… you're just like… all of them… You like it… when the woman doesn't want it… If I leave… this room… without everything… you'll be able… to demand me… to let you fuck me… in exchange for… opening the door again."

Bleach's hand slipped, making her chin hit the ground again and she couldn't help but let out a pained scream.

"I don't want it…" She resumed after taking a few minutes to recover. "I don't want to sell myself again… I won't."

"You won't have to." Illumi spoke in a husky voice. "I'll open this room again tomorrow for free. As long as you get out of it, right now."

Still lying on the ground, Bleach turned her head to the assassin, staring at him with teary and distrustful eyes. Her eyes narrowed at seeing the sadistic pleasure swimming in his otherwise unfeeling black eyes.  _Sadistic son of a bitch just loved watching me crawl like a fucking insect._

"Do you… promise?" She asked, almost as if she was accusing him.

"Yes."

"If you… break your promise… I'll tell Zeno and Maha… that you blotched this job."

"I won't.

After long seconds of internal debates, Bleach slowly crawled out of the room, allowing her body to fall to the ground as Illumi let the doors close. The assassin kneeled besides her and was about to grab her arm to hail her up when she shrieked.

"Don't touch me!"

Illumi smirked on the inside.  _Doesn't she look like a little, lost lamb? All alone and defenceless, afraid of what the big, bad wolf might do to her._

"I was just going to help you up." The assassin spoke in a bored voice that hid his amusement all too well. "I wasn't going to try anything."

"I know that." The woman retorted, using her arms to raise her upper-body. "But I don't want your help... I can… do this myself… Just leave me alone."

"You want me to leave you here in the basement?" He asked. "You want me to leave you to climb up all of the stairs by yourself when you can't barely crawl?"

"Yes. Leave me. Now."

Illumi's amusement died. It was not fear that propelled the woman to yell at him so desperately; it was independence. She didn't want him to look at her pitiful state anymore.

The assassin's eyes raked through the woman's form, starting on her wobbly feet and ending in her once white hair that was now covered in blood due to her hitting her head on the ground as she convulsed. It was one of the most disgraceful sights Illumi had ever seen, but, somehow, it didn't make the assassin think any less of the woman. If anything, those still burning eyes of hers just made him more interested.

But now it wasn't the time to show. Now it was the time to give her space.

"…Okay."

* * *

A couple of hours later found Bleach sitting down in a bathtub full of lukewarm water, hugging her knees tightly to her chest. After Namid finished healing her nervous system, allowing her to regain control over her body, the thief made her way to the closest bathroom. Thankfully, despite the palace having no heating, the plumping still worked just fine, allowing her to fill the bathtub. Then she used Foog's chakrams to heat up the water to a scorching temperature before entering the tub and washing her body. She emptied and refilled the tub three times before being satisfied and just staying in there, allowing the water to relax her muscles.

Bleach turned her head to the wall at her right, where some hangers held all of her now clean, but soaked clothes. She didn't know what to wear now; she had only brought two pants for the trip and, due to the cold, she had been wearing them both in the morning. Also, she had only brought one heavy coat that was now dripping wet too. She didn't feel sure enough to use Foog's power to dry the clothes; she was tired and afraid of not being able to control the flames enough to keep her clothes from being burned to ashes. She had almost blown up the tub when heating up the water for the third time.

Bleach didn't even think of grabbing a towel either. She had been so desperate to get clean that the thought didn't even cross her mind.

With a sigh, she dropped her head on her knees.

"I guess I'll just have to wait here until they dry on their own…"

* * *

The game of control is a tricky one.

To have people doing your binding, you must have them completely figured out and understand exactly which buttons to push and when. And, most of all, you must be high on their priority list; it doesn't matter if they love or hate you as long as they feel something strong enough to react to anything you do. People are always looking for something. All you have to do is make them believe you're what they think they're missing.

Once you fulfil these conditions, you get your own puppet and can start playing with it. And what a fun play it is! To have someone there, always doing what you want them to! And, if you play your toy just right, it can become completely dependent on you, to the point it can't do anything unless you condition it so. But, in order for that to happen, your toy must be conflicted and desperate; it must  _need_ some sort of guidance and support from you. And to keep it that way, you must push it to a point of deep emotional stress.

But you must be careful not to push too far; everyone has a breaking point and a broken puppet has no use whatsoever.

And that's why, on the game of control, you have to alter between hot and cold according to your puppet's humour. You can't let your toy become completely spent. Never. Or else it might just throw everything up and walk away from the game.

When you find your toy is close to breaking point, you have to pause the game. Be gentle with it; nurse it back to a state where it has a minimal self-confidence. Then, when you're certain that your puppet won't break on you, all you have to do is wait. It'll come to you to show its gratitude.

And the game can start over.

* * *

The water was getting cold but Bleach didn't move to summon Foog's chakrams once again. She was just so tired.

This trip was a really bad idea. Namid, Foog and Runvle were more than enough for her; there was no need for her to go after more power. So what if the guardians were unhappy being sealed in those weapons!? It was not her problem! All she got from being here was pain, mind raping and humiliation.

Maybe she should just call everything off; spending so much time with Illumi was far worse to her mental health that she had first anticipated…

Knock-knock

Bleach scowled.  _Talking about the devil._

"What?"

"I'm coming in."

"Hey! Who said you cou-"

Bleach's protests fell in deaf ears as the bathroom's door was opened and Illumi walked in with his usual stoic expression in place, carrying a towel and a bunch of clothes. The assassin took in the naked woman sitting in the bathtub, hugging her knees and facing him with a burning glare. If he felt any sort of pleasure at seeing her like that, he didn't show. Then, he scanned the bathroom, setting on the woman's wet clothes for a moment before he walked to the side of the large tub so he could put the clothes and towels on the small wooden bench that stood there.

The thief's distrustful eyes followed the man's every movement and, unconsciously, her arms tightened their hold around her knees.

"I knew you wouldn't remember to take a fresh set of clothes before dipping yourself in a bath." Illumi stated matter-of-factly. "I didn't want to rummage through your luggage so I brought some of mine for you to borrow."

Had Bleach been drinking something, she would've spilled it all over the floor.

"Since when do you fucking care about my well-being? Let alone my privacy?"

The assassin's eyes held the woman's for some moments, as if he was contemplating what to say. Finally, he turned his gaze to her hanging clothes.

"It's normal to lose control of your anal sphincter and bladder when such a strong electric current runs through your body. It's nothing to be ashamed of."

Bleach blinked in confusion. "Huh?"

Illumi's emotionless eyes returned to her. "That's what Father said to me when I began my pain-endurance training with electricity."

Suddenly, the woman's gaze lost all of its hostility and she actually gawked at the assassin. "Are you telling me that you…"

"It's common practice in our family."

And just like that, Illumi lost all of Bleach's attention as she turned her head to stare at the wall ahead of her instead. The woman's thoughts immediately reached out for Killua and his strange affinity with electricity and she felt a sudden urge to chase the boy down and hug him. Before going to find his parents and slap them on the face, that is.

"Killua…" She let out in a whisper.

Though maintaining his emotionless appearance Illumi was very displeased at her complete disregard to his presence and sudden focus on his little brother. He had to put himself back on her list of priorities.

"I reassured Killu of that as well, when Father and I began his training."

Illumi's words succeeded in recapturing Bleach's attention but, to the assassin's surprise – expressed by nothing more than a discreet raise of an eyebrow – the thief's gaze was blazing with renewed anger and disgust.

"You're telling me that you actually  _helped_  to torture Killua?! As some sort of fucked up training?!" Bleach yelled angrily, standing up from the bathtub with no regards to her current state of undress. "I thought that, from the bunch of crazy brothers, you were the one that held some sort of love towards him! How could you let him be tortured and humiliated like that?! What the fuck is wrong with you?!"

Illumi blinked. What the hell was wrong with this woman? That was the moment when she thanked him for the clothes and for the psychological support he had given her. Instead, she was worried about Killua – who was thousands of miles away from her - and scolding him for something that happened years ago.  _Talk about hot and cold._

"Ugh! You know what? Never-fucking-mind. I shouldn't have expected any less from an emotionally retarded and sadistic fucker like you." Bleach spoke in exasperation as she grabbed the towel and started to dry herself roughly.

Illumi stood there a few moments, in all honesty not knowing how to react to Bleach's outburst. Never had he met a person so random in all of his life.  _There is just no pleasing this woman._

"What the fuck are you still doing here, you pervert?" Bleach demanded of the assassin with a scowl on her face. "Get the fuck out so I can get dressed."

Wordlessly, Illumi allowed Bleach to push him out of the bathroom and slam the door behind him. He stood there for some time, trying to figure out how he could have messed this up. He was just supposed to pretend to feel some sympathy towards the woman and console her; a basic step he had done many times before in the game of control he played so perfectly. Where had he gone wrong?

With a shake of his head, Illumi walked away from the bathroom's door. It didn't matter; there would be plenty of opportunities for him to get closer to the woman and he wouldn't mess up next time.

By the end of this trip, Illumi would have one of Killu's "friends" wrapped around his little finger.

 


	22. The Palace: Unexpected Accomplishments

"The fuck you doing here?"

Illumi was in the lounge the thief called her bedroom, reading on the couch, resting his back on the armrest and using her pillow as an extra support to his back. Her blanket was draped over his legs, which laid stretched in front of him, occupying the rest of the couch. The room's fireplace remained lit and that abomination of nature the woman called a baby bear was asleep in front of it.

At the thief's question – demand, really – Illumi raised his eyes and watched as she waked in the room with soundless steps. The assassin blinked as he took in her appearance.

"Well, don't you look cute?"

Bleach's eyes widened and blood flooded to her cheeks. "Shut up, you pervert."

Illumi shrugged. "It's true."

It was. The woman was wearing the clothes Illumi had taken to her -  _his_  clothes, which were a couple of sizes too large for her. Her legs' shape was hidden by baggy pants that slid down her hips a little bit at every step she took, while her upper body was covered by a thick, light blue hoodie that reached the middle of her thighs. She had rolled up the sleeves a bit, but, even so, they remained too long for her arms, covering her hands. All of that, combined with the blush on her cheeks and the way the hood had been pulled up, as if to shelter her from his prying eyes, gave the woman a truly adorable appearance. It also reminded the assassin of a time when Killu would wear his aniki's clothes because he admired him.  _He used to do that a lot, before Father and I sent him on his first job_.

"Dude, you're staring." The thief commented, crossing her arms over her chest. "It's creeping me out. Stop it."

Illumi sighed over-dramatically. "You complain just about anything, don't you?"

"Regarding you? Yes." She retorted, smirking in amusement. "And, since I've began already: I don't like you staying in my room. Get the fuck out."

"Your room? This is a lounge."

"Don't play the smart-ass with me." The woman warned, pointing an accusing finger at him. "As long as we're in this shitty palace, this is  _my_  room. And I don't want you here right now; I'm going to take a nap."

Illumi went back to his book. "Then nap. I'm sure the sound of me turning the pages of my book won't bother you much."

Bleach felt a vein start to pulse on her forehead at the man's words.  _So much for respecting my fucking privacy._

"How can I nap when you're sitting on my bed, shithead?"

"This is a couch, not a bed. It was made for sitting."

For a moment, Bleach feared the vein pulsing on her forehead would burst and started to take deep breaths to calm herself down, all the while counting up to ten in her mind.

"You know what? Fine, stay on my fucking  _bed_. After the disgusting things that happened on it, I don't to use it anymore, anyway." Bleach conceded as she marched up to the man. "But  _these-"_ Then, she pulled the pillow and the blanket from the assassin's body roughly. "–come with me."

Ignoring Illumi's unimpressed look, Bleach dropped the pillow on the floor, right in front of the fireplace, and laid down with her back turned to the assassin, covering her body with the thick blanket and welcoming the hairless bear that ran into her arms.

Releasing a contented sigh, Bleach allowed her eyes to close, completely ignoring the feeling of those two black holes Illumi called eyes staring at her. Fifteen minutes later, she was laying on her back with the small bear on top of her stomach and the cover bundled up at her waist.

The assassin couldn't help but sigh at how easily the woman fell asleep with he in the room. She wasn't completely out of it; the assassin could feel that a small -  _too small -_  part of her brain was alert to react at any sign of danger but still… He was right there, and he was pretty sure his stealth didn't lose to hers - not by much at least. Illumi felt a spark of power run down his body; if he wanted to, he could do just about anything to the woman and she wouldn't even notice.

Resisting the urge to mess with the woman -  _too soon_  - the assassin was about to move his eyes back to his book when something else caught his attention. There were dark shades on the outer part of the fireplace's walls that hadn't been there before. Curious, Illumi walked quietly to the fireplace to examine what they were.

Sure enough, they were ashes that shouldn't be there, unless some sort of small explosion happened, making fire burst out of the fireplace. Immediately, the assassin's eyes darted to the burning wood in there, narrowing when they found something else. Scattered on the margins of the wood, Illumi could clearly see glass shards of different sizes. One of them was big enough for the assassin to realize that they belonged to a bottle of liquor.

Automatically, Illumi turned his neck to look down at the sleeping woman from over his shoulder as the puzzle's pieces fell into place.

It was safe to assume that the woman got the bottle of liquor on the night before, after he left her for the night. While it wasn't strange for her to use alcohol as a mean to cope with their little tryst, the fact that she had thrown the full (those ashes didn't lie) bottle into the fireplace was peculiar. Why would she walk all the way to the village, in the middle of a bone-freezing cold night, to get a bottle of liquor and throw it away? With enough anger to make flames surge out of the fireplace like that?

 _It's almost like a desperate measure one would take to put end to temptation._ A dark and understanding smile crept on the assassin's face.  _Well, well, well; someone has been fighting off her drinking problems._

Suddenly the woman moaned in pain, wiggling her body a bit in an unconscious attempt of finding a more comfortable position on the hard ground.

Not needing anymore incentive, Illumi removed the bear from over the woman's body and picked her up, cradling her gently in his arms. Slowly as to not wake her up, he laid her on the couch before grabbing her blanket off the ground and covering her with it. That freakish bear hang on the blanket, giving Illumi no choice but to put it in the couch with the thief. Once he was sure she was comfortable, Illumi grabbed his book and walked out of the lounge to explore a little more of the palace, leaving the woman to enjoy her nap in peace.

_As random and easily angered as she is, there is no way for her not to appreciate this gesture._

* * *

For the first time since she left her hotel to meet Illumi in the airport of York Shin City, Bleach actually felt  _good_. She was warm, comfortable, hugging something cuddly to her chest, well-rested and still in that blissful limbo of when you begin to wake up naturally but still retain bits of a nice dream in your mind.

"Hmm, Ging…" The thief mumbled with a perverted smile on her lips as she rolled on the comfortable couch, taking the hairless bear in her with her.

_Wait a fucking minute._

The woman's eyes snapped open.

_Couch?!_

Bleach sat up in a start, startling the poor little animal into leaping off the couch. Now fully awake, she turned her head from side to side frantically to see where she was. When she noticed she was still in her bedroom and, most importantly,  _alone,_  Bleach relaxed, setting her gaze on the fireplace. She had just been sleeping on her bed, covered by the thick blanket.

_But… I fell asleep on the floor._

The woman's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.  _Illumi moved me to the couch? Why would he do something so - dare I say it? - nice?_

First the assassin tried to console her for shitting herself and allowed her to borrow some of his clothes, now he was tucking her in?

A shiver ran down Bleach's spine.  _It feels like I'm fraternizing with the Devil._

* * *

With nothing else to do and after much hesitation, Bleach decided to go look for Illumi. It was barely 16:00 and the sun was already setting, casting red and orange hues through the windows, all around the palace.  _Who would've guessed? This place is kind of pretty. If you disregard the fucking human bones scattered here and there, that is._

After some wandering, Bleach found the assassin inside an enormous library, sitting at a wide window as he read a different book than the one she had seen in his hands on many occasions before. The thief couldn't help but blink at noticing the peaceful look on the assassin's face and the soft shades the setting sun was casting all over his body and around him. It was almost as if he was a model posing to a photo-shoot.

"Well, don't you look pretty?"

Slowly, Illumi turned his head to the woman standing by the library's door with a mocking smirk on her face.

"Some men would prefer the term handsome, you know?" The assassin commented, snapping his book shut and letting it on the windowsill as he stood up.

"Men? Where?" Bleach mocked turning her head from side to side desperately. "I don't see any."

To Illumi's credit, he didn't even roll his eyes. "Aren't we funny now that we had our afternoon nap? Or should I say afternoon coma? You slept five hours."

"Yes, I did!" Bleach commented with a wide grin. "It was so  _goooood_!" Then, as if just hit by something, the grin disappeared from her face. "By the way, why did you carry me to my bed?"

"I had finished reading my book and was going to leave the lounge-"

"My room."

"-anyway." Illumi explained nonchalantly as he walked towards one of the bookshelves to scan it. "Since I wouldn't use the couch-"

"My bed."

"-anymore, I figured I could carry you there to have a more comfortable sleep. You were grunting in pain on the floor."

Suddenly, Bleach appeared right in front of the assassin, putting her body between him and the bookshelf so she could look up into his eyes with her own distrustful ones. Despite not expecting her to put herself in such close quarters to him of her own free will so soon - let alone trap herself between him and a hard surface like that - Illumi regarded the woman with his usual inexpressive eyes. Said eyes scanned the woman's figure discreetly. His over-sized clothes were making her look so harmless...  _If only she knew how deliciously vulnerable she looks right now._

"Are you telling me that you tucked me in just out of the goodness of that black hole you call a heart?" Bleach demanded, narrowing her eyes. "You honestly expect me to believe this shit?"

"Would you prefer if I had left you on the ground?"

"Eh… no."

"Then don't complain."

"I'm not complaining! I'm just trying to figure out what the fuck you could gain from being nice to me."

"Nothing." Illumi lied. "I just felt like allowing you good nap. You needed it after all that happened this morning."

Bleach's glare softened at hearing that, though she still held some distrust in her contacts covered eyes.

"Really? No hidden agenda?"

The assassin put on an exasperated look on his face as a response, though, inside, he was nothing more than satisfied at finally seeing some hostility leave the eyes of the woman in front of him.

"Okay then…" Bleach let out after some seconds. She made to move from her place, but Illumi laid his hand softly on the bookshelf, right by her head, blocking her escape.

"Also-" The assassin began, using his other hand to play with one of the hoodie's strings as his emotionless black eyes bored into Bleach's intensely. "-you are too adorable wearing my clothes. I couldn't just leave such a pretty thing laying on the floor like that."

Bleach forced a knowing smirk on her lips. "Admit it. You just didn't want me getting your clothes dirty."

Illumi forced an amused smirk on his. "Nothing gets through you, does it?"

"Of course not." Bleach spoke matter-of-factly as she manoeuvred her way under Illumi's arm and away from him. "I'm too awesome for that."

Illumi sighed internally; playfulness was not what he wanted from the woman. He wanted her to feel embarrassed and for her heart to beat faster at his teasing. Still, it was better than the anger from before. It showed that she was beginning to warm up to him, even if just a little bit.

Bleach was about to walk out of the library when her stomach growled. Loudly.

"I guess it's time for lunch. Or is it dinner already? Whatever." She mumbled to herself before turning her head to stare at Illumi from over her shoulder. "I'm going to the village to get somet-"

The woman's voice died when the assassin all but appeared in front of her.

"What did I say? The villagers don't like outsiders. Especially ones with white hair that mark them as the heir to the Castere." He scolded as if he was talking to a 5 years old child. "No going to the village unless absolutely necessary."

Bleach pouted. "And what the fuck do you suggest I do? Even if I go hunt something in the forest, we both established last night that I can't cook to save my life. Nor can you for that matter."

"…"

"Well? I'm waiting."

"Very well. You'll get your food from the village." Illumi conceded, mostly because he didn't want to suffer from a meal as horrible as the last one. "But you wait here. I'll go buy the food."

The assassin didn't give Bleach time to answer to that before disappearing from her side.

Perplexed, Bleach just stood there. Something was very,  _very_ wrong; Illumi was being excessively kind and normal. A man doesn't manipulate you in having sex with him and calls you whore and a worthless piece of trash one day, and then treats you as if you're his little princess just like that. It's not normal. Men are disgusting pigs or they aren't. There shouldn't be a middle-ground in thar matter!

And yet, there was Illumi. Being a total jackass one day, then being all kind and soft on the next. He didn't make any sense.

_Could it be that he's fucking sorry?_

With a scoff, Bleach dismissed the thought almost immediately. Illumi was a manipulative son-of-a-bitch; everything he did, he did for a reason. He didn't do  _sorry._

Still, the thief would play along; she wasn't about to get this civil Illumi replaced by the pervert Illumi. She couldn't trust the man, but she could, at least, maintain a somewhat healthy relationship with him until this trip was over.

_That's right. And all I have to do is play along._

With that in mind, Bleach smirked widely and made her way to her room.

_I guess I'll just go back to sleep._

* * *

Bleach's second nap of the day brought an electrifying surprise for the girl.

Literally.

As soon as she closed her eyes, Bleach found herself in a much too vivid dream for her to believe it was natural. She was lying down on a fluffy black cloud and, all around her, thunders fell and rose, going to the right and to the left, up and down, in a beautiful and booming chaos. She noticed she had a shackle around her neck.

Suddenly a large, yellow and black metal bird fell from the skies and on the same black cloud on which Bleach was lying. Startled, the thief scrambled to her feet and ran to the creature, recognizing it immediately as Iaro.

"Iaro?! What the fuck is going on?" Bleach demanded, dropping to her knees by the bird's large head. "How the fuck did we get synced?! I didn't call to you! And what happened to you?!"

The bird's yellow eyes opened and looked into the girl's that were now of the same colour.

"I zummoned you, Chozen One." Iaro spoke, his deep voice much softer than before. "I realized you were right. It wazn't fair of me to condemn you from what your family did."

"You summoned me? That's why you're so fucked up?"

"Yez. The zummonig procezz goes both wayz, but it'z much harder for uz, the guardianz, to zummon our mazter to our own dimenzion. It conzumez too much of our Aura."

"Don't call me master." Bleach scolded. "I want us to be companions, not…you know."

The bird chuckled.

"You are different from your family."

"They are not my fucking family. I don't even remember them." Bleach protested with a pout before giving the fallen bird a small smile. "Does this mean you'll become my guardian, Iaro?"

"Yez."

* * *

Bleach woke up to a gentle shake of her shoulders and found Illumi sitting by her on the couch, staring down with his unfeeling eyes.

"How did you manage to go back to sleep after taking such a long nap?" The assassin asked, tilting his head to the side.

Bleach sat up and shrugged her shoulders. "It's a talent a dumbass like you wouldn't understand. So, what did you bring me?"

"Goat's testicles and chicken's intestines." The assassin answered in a nonchalantly voice.

Bleach's eyes widened as she desperately searched Illumi's face for signs that he was joking. She found none and her face turned a little green.

"I'm not hungry anymore…"

"I'm joking of course." Illumi put in, voice going to its false good-naturedly tone. "I brought some bread, cheese, cold cuts and fruits."

Illumi had considered bringing a bottle of wine too, but decided against it. The woman had just began to become comfortable in his presence so he shouldn't risk pushing her into the stress that would be facing her alcoholism problem. Not yet.

"Let's eat then." Illumi spoke, standing up from the couch and walking towards the fireplace to sit down in front of it with his back turned to the girl.

There, on the floor, over a blanket, the food was displayed as if they were about to have a picnic.

Indoors. In front of a fireplace. Just the two of them.

Without moving from the couch, Bleach raised an inquisitive eyebrow at the set-up.

"Is this shit supposed to be romantic?"

Illumi spared her a look from over his shoulder and shrugged.

"Only if you want it to be."

Bleach was somewhat taken aback at the statement, spending some moments watching the assassin in a stunned and – dare she admit it? – appreciative silence. Somewhere along the way, Illumi had removed his overall coat and was now only in his black pants and a skin tight dark green turtleneck that hugged his torso perfectly, allowing the embers in the fireplace to shade his muscles in a very flattering way. Warning bells set off on the back of Bleach's head but, since was hungry – and never did pay that much attention to those bells anyway – she shrugged it off and walked towards the food, taking her place at the assassin's left, with the food displayed in-between them.

At the same time Bleach reached for a piece of bread, Illumi grabbed a strawberry. The woman pretended not to notice, but from her peripheral vision, she watched attentively as the assassin took the red fruit to his mouth and bit on it tauntingly.

She smirked.  _Two can play at this game._

Pretending to be immersed in the flames before her, Bleach parted a small piece of her bread and put it in her mouth slowly, inserting the tip of her index finger in her mouth along with it. She pulled her hand back just as slowly, sucking gently on her finger as it slid through her lips.

From the corner of her eyes, she saw Illumi appearing as nonchalantly as ever, but she knew he was watching her. The same way he knew  _she_  was watching  _him_. Both of them smirked inside. The game was getting interesting.

* * *

The meal was had in absolute silence, but it was still one of the longest of their lives. Every motion, every bite and every breath each of them took happened in deliberate and sensual slowness, meant to grab the other's attention and tease.

Only tease.

Neither of them believed anything would come out of it. Bleach, in all honesty, did not want to have sex with Illumi again –  _at least not so soon –_ while Illumi knew he'd still have to give some time for the woman to allow him near her again –  _I should've allowed her to enjoy that first time._

But, even if neither expected anything from it, both were left wide awake and restless. Especially Bleach, who had slept for the better part of the afternoon and now wasn't feeling one bit of sleepiness remaining in her body.

"I'm going to take a bath." Illumi spoke suddenly and stood up from the floor.

"Huh?" Bleach let out, startled at the sudden declaration before waving her hand dismissively. "Ah, alright. Thanks for the food."

The assassin, who was almost out of the door, paused at those words.  _Finally._

"You know how you could thank me?" Illumi asked in his fake cheerful tone as he turned around to face the woman still sitting on the floor with her back to him.

Bleach dropped her head back to stare at him with her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "How?"

"You could use those nice chakrams of yours to heat up the water for me."

Bleach blinked. She was not expecting such a reasonable request.

With a shrug of her shoulders, she stood up. "Alright. But just because you got me food."

Illumi put a fake friendly smile on his face. "They do say that the way through a woman's heart is through her stomach."

"Shut the fuck up and walk."

* * *

"There." Bleach spoke, allowing Foog's chakrams to disappear before turning around to face the assassin. "I think it's hot en- WHAT THE FUCK?! WHY ARE YOU NAKED?!"

_And since when are you so fucking hot?!_

"Because I'm going to take a bath." Illumi answered as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Can't you wait until I'm out of the bathroom?!" Bleach demanded angrily, though she made no motions to avert her gaze from the man's exposed body.

"I don't know what you're so flustered about. It's nothing you haven't seen before." Illumi said matter-of-factly. "Now, unless you want to join me – which you are most welcome to - I suggest you leave the bathroom."

Bleach spend some seconds frozen there, watching the man get into the tub and actually contemplating if she should join him or not. Then, with a shake of her head and a scowl on her face, she mentally beat herself and stamped out of the bathroom.

Alone, Illumi laid his head back to enjoy the warmth of the water around him with a satisfied smirk on his lips. It wasn't the end of night he had originally planned when he woke up; he had been hopeful that, at this hour, he'd be enjoying himself in a different way – a way that also involved something hot and wet around him – but it was a fitting way for him to end his night nonetheless. Because, despite still feeling somewhat frustrated with his body, he knew that the woman was just as, if not more, frustrated than him.

At thinking about the woman, images from the night before started to pop into his mind. Bright eyes full of damage; pouty lips cursing at him… and that short moment when he hit just at the right spot inside her, making her gasp in pleasure. The memories came back all too vividly and he started to trail his right hand down his body.

As soon as his hand encircled his member, Illumi started pumping. It was not the ending he wished, but it was an ending nonetheless.

* * *

Inside her room, Bleach was pacing from side to side, glaring at the floor as if it was the reason for her frustration and anger. Finally, with an angry growl, Bleach decided  _what the fuck_ and let her body drop on her bed; her hand immediately going down and beneath her borrowed pants.

As her fingers reached her destination, a loving smile stretched on the girl's lips. The images that were popping in her hand didn't involve a pair of cold black eyes staring down at her as she had feared. Instead, all she could see were warm brown eyes, black hair and a jaw full of stubbles.

_Oh, Ging._

Bleach decided that there was something wrong with the way her brain was wired. She was masturbating in the palace where her whole "family" was killed because she had been turned on by a sadistic, mind-fucking psychopath. Also, she was thinking of a man that should be almost twice her age; a man whose very innocent son was one of the most precious people in the world for her.

The cherry of the cake was the fact she was wearing the assassin's clothes while she did that. She was covered in his scent and soon, his pants would be covered in hers. She should feel very ashamed of soiling the man's clothes like that but all she felt was a dark amusement at the notion.

 _It's not like the shithead will show any sign of displeasure in his perpetually stoic_  face.


	23. The Palace: Last Day Of Snow

The sun was barely up, but Bleach and Illumi were already in front of the Sealed Room's doors, ready to open them.

"Are you ready to go in again?" Illumi asked.

"The fuck do you think, shithead?" Bleach snapped shooting the assassin a dirty look.

The woman's eyes were bloodshot from lack of sleep. Her naps on the day before had ruined her night's sleep, but, naturally, the thief blamed none other than the man besides her for it.  _Damn his fucking teasing!_ No matter how much she fought against her pent-up desire on the night before – or how many times she gave in to it – the woman just couldn't get it off her system.  _And it's all his fucking fault!_

"Very well." Illumi responded, unaffected by Bleach's hostility. He was already resigned to the idea that she had more mood swings than a pregnant woman and that she did nothing to keep herself from showing it.

_One needle in her forehead. Things would be much simpler with just one needle in her forehead._

* * *

Once inside the room, Bleach walked straight to the display case in which Trera's bracelets were stored and grabbed them quickly, as one would do when pulling a Band-Aid.  _Painful but quick._

To Bleach's surprise, when she "woke up" in Trera's dimension, there was no sort of abuse whatsoever. Instead, she was feeling warm and fuzzy, laying on a path of fluffy dirt. Thanking the Universe for Trera being all 'love and peace' like Runvle, Bleach slowly opened her now green eyes and sat up; she was in a cave, full of the most different kinds of rocks, crystals and stones. Wasn't it for the fact that some of the crystals shone in a green-ish light, the cave would be in the most absolute darkness; there was no opening whatsoever.

"Thank gods I'm not claustrophobic." Bleach commented with a chuckle as she stood up.

Her words were answered by another chuckle, gruff and deep, coming from behind her. With a smirk on her face, Bleach turned around to meet her Guardian of Earth.

"Hi th- Holy shit!"

Bleach's smirk was soon replaced by a look of surprised as she tripped on her own two feet and fell down on her butt. Eyes wide in amazement, Bleach observed as the rocks in front of her raised from the ground and acquired the form of a golem. A big-ass (easily 8 meters tall), golem made of black and brown rocks, with vibrant green eyes.

"Holy shit! You glow!" Bleach pointed out in awe.

And that was true. From the gaps between the rocks that composed Trera's body, Bleach could see a warm and green light flowing underneath the surface of his figure, shining just like his eyes.

Trera's solid features morphed into a smile.

"Hello there, little Missy."

Bleach blinked. Twice.

Then she latched herself on the golem, hugging his neck as tight as she could and planting kisses all over his face.

"I love you, Trera!" Bleach exclaimed between kisses. "You didn't call me Chosen One! Or Castere! Oh, I love you so much right now I could just kiss you!"

"… That's exactly what you're doing."

"It's to prove how much I love you!"

Trera chuckled in amusement as he peeled off the passionate thief from his neck and face.

"Well, since we're talking about titles, what is your name, little Missy?"

"Bleach!" The girl answered with a wide grin. "I know you're Trera, the Guardian of Earth! And I came to see if you'd like to be my guardian and help me become stronger. Before you ask, I'm not going to force you to do anything, I'm not going to be your  _master,_ I actually want us to be friends, and I will do my best to find a way to set you free from these bracelets. And yes, I do really mean it!"

The guardian's smile just widened as he petted the girl's head, carefully as to not break her neck. "I see my friends have already met and traumatized you, huh?"

"Yes… Only Runvle and Namid weren't abusive with me. Besides you, of course. You're really cool, Trera! Really, the guy who came up with that  _cold as stone_  saying never met you!"

"Well, thank you, Bleach. I'm glad you think so."

"So, what do you say? Would you be my guardian?" Bleach asked with a hopeful grin.

Trera grinned back. "What do you think?"

"Yes!" The woman exclaimed, punching the air in celebration. "Now all I have to do is get Iadbo to join me and we'll be good to go! No more cold palace and, most of all, no more Illu-"

"Did you say Iadbo? You honestly intend to sync with Iadbo?" Trera asked, his stony features morphing into a disapproving frown.

Bleach's commemoration was cut short and she turned her eyes to Trera, dropping her head to the side in confusion.

"Yes… Why?"

"Didn't Namid warn you about him?"

"That he is the most hateful of the guardians? And that he killed Syrea and Regal when they released him? Yes, she did."

"And you still intend to sync with him?"

"Well, I know he'll give me a hard time but, honestly, how hard can it be? I had to deal with Foog, Eglo and Iaro already."

"He won't give you a hard time." Trera spoke serious. "He'll kill you."

Bleach's eyes lost all their cheerfulness at hearing that. "… He hates me that much, huh?"

"He hates us all, Bleach." Trera began, softening his voice. "He feels that the Castere betrayed him when they sealed us in these weapons, and he feels that we, the other guardians, betrayed him when we fought against him after he murdered Syrea and Regal. And you not only have Castere blood running through your veins but also has befriended all of us."

"Not all of you." Bleach put in with a pout. "Eglo doesn't want anything to do with me."

The guardian chuckled. "Eglo has always been stubborn. Just give her time."

"What about Iadbo? Can't I just give him time too?"

"I'm sorry, but I don't think so. Iadbo won't even give you the chance to talk, Bleach. He'll kill you as soon as you two sync."

"But I have Namid-"

"Namid manipulates your tissues, making them regenerate faster, and she fights off strange Nen from your body, but that's about it. The moment Iadbo's shadows wrap around your neck and close your windpipe, you're dead. Namid won't be able to make your cells divide themselves if they have no oxygen to produce energy for their activities."

Bleach had no knowledge about cellular biology whatsoever, so she didn't know exactly what Trera was talking about, but she did get the main idea of his speech: choking meant game-over for her, even with Namid's power.

Finally, with a defeated sigh, Bleach nodded her head. "Alright, I won't even try to talk with Iadbo."

The last thing Bleach saw before ending their sync-mode was the Guardian of Earth smiling in relief.

* * *

Back in the Sealed Room, Bleach sat up slowly on the ground, smiling in satisfaction at having yet another guardian on her side. One very gentle and easy-going guardian at that.

"I take it things went well this time?"

Bleach turned her head to the doors, where Illumi was standing, and smirked widely.

"Things went just better than well. Things went wonderful!" She spoke as she stood up on her feet. "We can leave this place now."

The assassin dropped his head to the side. "What about the scythe?"

That made Bleach drop her smirk. Serious, the thief turned around so she was facing the only remaining weapon in the room: Iadbo's scythe. Hesitantly, she took some steps towards the weapon, reinforcing her Ten as the murderous Nen surrounding her grew thicker. The scythe held a bone-chilling beauty; its long metal shaft was curved and completely black, a black that followed to the upper half of the blade's extension. The blade was long as well, longer than normal, and its bottom-half was of a pretty purple colour.

"I'm sorry." Bleach whispered, lowly enough so Illumi couldn't hear her. "But everyone has warned me against you; Namid, Elmsy and Trera. And I'm not going to get myself killed just to give you a chance. A chance that you'll most likely throw back at my face, anyway. Goodbye, Iadbo."

With that, Bleach turned around to walk out of the dark room, giving her back to the scythe.

Not one step was taken.

Suddenly, the murderous Nen inside the room spiked dangerously, pushing Bleach down to her knees violently. Eyes wide in shock, the woman looked down at herself and felt fear grab at her throat at what she saw: shadows were climbing up her body, slowly but surely, caressing her legs, tights and lower abdomen in a foreboding way.

Body trembling, Bleach raised her Ten in an attempt to fight off those shadows. She only succeeded in slowing them down.

 _It's alright._  Bleach told herself, replacing the look of fear on her face for one of determined anger.  _All I have to do is get the fuck out of this room._

And so, the woman forced herself to stand on her own two feet and made to walk to the door. The shadows tried to hold her back, pulling on her legs and thighs as to not let them leave the ground, but Bleach overcame them. Slowly, she started to walk to the exit.

Despite being surprised and confused about what was happening before him, Illumi kept his unfeeling mask as he watched the woman struggle against the power of the scythe. And what power it was! Even he had to drastically reinforce his Ten to keep the murderous Aura from damaging him.

_And she'll have to leave this power here because she can't control it. As always, everything is a matter of control._

Bleach was close; five more steps and she would be out of the room.

Too bad for her that the shadows raised all the way up to her neck, grabbing her throat in a painful choke that cut off her air supply completely. Two slow and tortuous steps later, she was back on her knees; face red, eyes bugging out and drool falling from her mouth.

_Fuck._

Just as Bleach's vision started to tunnel, she felt a pair of arms encircle her shoulders and, next thing she knew, she was kneeling on the floor, out of the Sealed Room, pressed to a hard chest and taking in big gulps of air.

The sound of the doors slamming closed couldn't come fast enough and, when it did, it wasn't nearly as loud as she hoped it would be.

"That was awfully close."

Breathing hard, Bleach raised her teary eyes, finding Illumi's unfeeling ones staring back into hers. Soon, an oddly pleased smirk stretched on her lips as the adrenaline of the near-death situation kicked in hard and good. Even her position - kneeled between Illumi's legs and with his arms around her shoulders, pressing her to him - didn't take from the buzz she was feeling at the moment. In fact, it almost… enhanced it.

"Yeah… very close." She breathed out in a crooked voice; her throat still damaged from being choked by Iadbo's shadows.

Illumi raised an eyebrow at the woman. She had almost died – the ugly, dark purple circle around her neck was proof of it - but now her eyes were blown in a twisted pleasure and the smirk on her lips was downright unholy. It all sent sparks of desire down Illumi's body, prompting him to slid his hands down Bleach's shoulders, slowly. Down her back and towards her-

"I'm going to the roof."

With that, the woman was back on her feet and walking away from him. Before she left the assassin's line of sight though, she stopped for a second to throw him a teasing smirk from over her shoulder.

Illumi's lips twitched in a brief smirk and he stood up to go after her.

* * *

"I thought you disliked the cold."

Bleach smirked at the words being whispered in her ear.

"I don't dislike the cold. I just don't care for it at every fucking hour of the day and night. Especially when I'm not dressed to it."

"I told you to pack heavy coats."

"This is the heaviest coat I have, pretty boy." Bleach spoke, motioning to her red coat, before allowing her smirk to morph into a pout. "Doesn't do shit for this cold though."

"Then why are we here on the roof?" Illumi asked, unbuttoning his coat so he could close it over the woman's body, trapping her close to him.

"I don't know…" Bleach admitted, revelling in the warmth coming from the man behind her and enjoying the snowy view in front of her.  _I wish I had a camera._ "Feeling the chill on my face seemed like a good idea after the shit that just happened."

"You mean, after you almost got yourself killed and left smiling like an idiot because of it?" Illumi spoke in an over-dramatically scolding voice.

Bleach's smirk widened. "Do I detect a hint of judgement in your voice?"

"Aren't you perceptive?"

"Chill, man. I'm alright now, though your concern is kind of flattering."

"You honestly think it's concern I'm feeling?"

"Tsk. Of course not." Bleach scoffed. "I bet you're just annoyed because, in your over-controlling asshole mind, you can't understand how a near-death experience can actually be thrilling for someone."

"Well, I never thought I'd say this, but… you guessed right."

"I didn't need to  _guess,_ shithead." Bleach grumbled, pulling Illumi's coat tighter against herself roughly, making the fabric stretch uncomfortably over the assassin's shoulders. "You're not that hard of a man to figure out,  _Illumi_."

"I wish I could say the same about you…  _Bleach_."

Bleach's breath caught in her throat at the last word that left Illumi's lips. It was the first time the assassin spoke her name, and he did it in such a husky and promising voice…

"You should watch your fucking tone, Mister." Bleach began, dropping her head back on the man's left shoulder. "Or I might just think you're trying to get into my pants. Again."

Illumi's eyes bore into hers. "What if I am?"

"Not your lucky day." The woman spoke in a haunting tone. "Been there, done that. Didn't like it."

Illumi raised his left hand so he could entwine his fingers on Bleach's fluffy hair and massage her scalp gently. Never moving his eyes from hers, the man slowly lowered his head, touching his lips on the side of Bleach's exposed neck briefly. It was with great satisfaction that he saw her pupils dilate in pleasure.

"Everyone deserves a second chance." Illumi said, planting more kisses on the woman's neck.

Bleach swallowed audibly and smirked. "Well, it  _is_ getting kind of cold out here. Why don't we- Eep!"

Next thing she knew, she was on Illumi's arms, being carried bridal-style to her bedroom.

* * *

**ATTENTION. LIME STARTS NOW.**

Considering his current situation, sitting on the couch in front of a lit fireplace, with a moaning Bleach sitting across his lap as the fingers of his right hand worked on her, Illumi almost felt bad for charging the woman for the trip. Well… not really, but you get the picture.

"Are you glad you gave me another chance yet?" The assassin asked, lowering his face closer to the woman's, mingling their breaths.

"I-I… Ah! I guess…" Bleach breathed out, pushing her head into the man's left hand, which was massaging her scalp soothingly, as her arms tightened their hold around his neck.

Illumi's eyes focused on the woman's face. On the flush adorning her cheeks, on the ragged breaths coming from her parted lips and on the way she was holding her contacts covered eyes tightly shut-  _Now, that just won't do._

"Open your eyes." The man demanded.

Bleach frowned. "W-Why?"

Illumi didn't answer. Instead, he removed his right hand from its place, enjoying the outraged gasp that left the woman's mouth.

"Open your eyes." Illumi repeated, slowly sliding his hand up, underneath Bleach's shirt, and going all the way to her left breast. "Do it. Unless you don't mind me keeping my hand here. I know I don't; you have soft breasts,  _Bleach_."

The woman scowled. She didn't want to open her eyes. If she did, she wouldn't be able to picture Ging in her mind; she'd have no choice but accept that the person doing those amazing –  _oh so fucking amazing_ \- things to her body was that asshole, manipulative, son-of-a-

"Well, alright. If you don't want me to-"

"Fine! Asshole." Bleach spat out as she opened her eyes. Eyes that narrowed as soon as they set themselves on the assassin's large and unfeeling ones. "Happy now?"

Illumi lowered his lips to Bleach's ear and nibbled it gently. " _Very._ "

"In this case-" The woman began, removing one of her hands from around the man's neck to grab at the hand wandering beneath her shirt and push it to the where she wanted it to be: beneath her pants, right between her legs. "-why don't you make me happy too?"

"So impatient…" Illumi whispered in a husky voice as he inserted his index finger back into her.

"Ah!"

At that gasp, Illumi retreated his head a little so he could resume staring into Bleach's eyes, which were blown in excitement and pleasure, and inserted another finger in her, making her arch her back into him. The cherry of the cake came when he pressed his thumb to her clit and started to circle it, all the while pumping his two fingers in and out of her, making her whole body tremble in his hold.

"Fuck. Illumi…"

It was the assassin's time to take in a ragged breath. Illumi had thought that nothing would excite him more than the broken look she had on her face during their first night together, but seeing her like that - flushed and trembling in pleasure - had him discarding that idea quickly. The wanton way Bleach was looking at him and the pleading tone in her voice when she spoke his name… it was the image of pure  _need_. And seeing that seeming always independent woman actually need him made Illumi want her much more than he did on that first night.

The assassin quickly found himself growing painfully tight, and all he wanted to do was drive into her until she  _screamed_  his name. Over and over again.

Illumi knew he had the skill to do so, but he refrained. This night was about giving Bleach a little taste of what he could do to her, to make her come to him on her hands and knees, begging for more. He couldn't give her his best so easily - no matter how much he wanted to.

However, those coherent thoughts and plans left Illumi when he felt Bleach start to rock her hips in time with his strokes, rubbing her backside against his erection in a gloriously teasing motion. The assassin's grip on her hair grew tighter and he couldn't help but shut his eyes for a short moment, just so he could feel the friction on his groin better.

Illumi wondered if her actions intended to tease him or were just a way for her to push his fingers deeper into her folds in an attempt of maximizing her own pleasure. When he reopened his eyes and found a very arrogant-looking Bleach smirking up at him, he knew it was the first.

"D-Doesn't it hurt?" The thief asked between pants. "Having such an h-hard-on and… doing nothing about - Ah! – it?"

"Don't worry." Illumi answered, seemingly unaffected. "You can help me handle it later, after I'm done with you."

The woman opened her mouth once again but, before any sound could come out, Illumi increased the pace of his fingers, making her choke on her words and let out a moan of pleasure instead.

Lost in her own pleasure, Bleach allowed her eyes to close as she threw her head back and moaned. Illumi was about to berate her on closing her eyes again, but the sight of a drop of sweat streaking down the pale throat in front of him caught his eyes, and he couldn't help but dip his head and lap off the offending liquid. The drop was gone, but the man's lips remained on the woman's throat, kissing, licking and nipping at the tempting skin there.

Automatically, Bleach's hands raised to the back of Illumi's head, grabbing fistfuls of dark and silky hair and pushing his mouth closer to her as the trembling in her body grew worse. She was so close.

Noticing that, Illumi once again sped up the movements of his fingers, guiding the woman to an intense orgasm that made her whole body shake and twitch in pleasure. Even after the first waves of pleasure had hit her, Illumi maintained his fingers moving at a steady pace inside of her, prolonging her pleasure as much as he could.

**LIME ENDS HERE.**

Only after Bleach's face dropped on the crook of his neck and her body was completely limp in his arms did Illumi remove his right hand from inside her. Discreetly, he whipped his fingers clean on the couch's fabric before raising his hand to the woman's face, pulling it from his shoulder so he could stare into her eyes again.

Her face was completely flushed and her eyes were glazed, signalizing she had yet to come down from the high of her orgasm. However, to the assassin's mild surprise, what really caught his attention this time weren't Bleach's eyes, but her parted lips. They were so full and red and just-

_-so kissable._

However, before Illumi could close his lips over hers, Bleach's head dropped back to his shoulder. Her eyes were closed once again, her breathing was back to its soft and slow rhythm and there was a bit of drool beginning to drip from her parted lips. A soft snore made its way through said lips.

Illumi felt his blood pressure skyrocket.

The woman was fast asleep, leaving him to deal with his arousal on his own, just as he had to do on the night before. However, this time, instead of having the consolation of knowing she was feeling as frustrated as him, he had her drooling on his shoulder, with a stupid and satiated smile on her face.

He was going to kill the lit-

"Thanks… helping me…" The woman murmured in her sleep, snuggling closer to him. "Saved my life… Illumi…"

Completely disarmed by those words, Illumi held back a very exasperated sigh and stood up from the couch, cradling Bleach in his arms. Then, he laid her back on the sofa before grabbing the blanket from the floor and dropping it over her body unceremoniously.

Downright pissed, the assassin stalked out of the lounge and made his way to a bathroom. A cold bath was in order.

As soon as the door of her room closed, Bleach allowed a huge smirk to stretch across her face before rolling to her side and snuggling herself beneath the blanket. She hadn't managed to get much sleep last night and could use a few hours of it before demanding that Illumi took her back to York Shin City.

_Who's the pretty whore now? Jackass._

* * *

After waking from a short nap, Bleach started to, once again, wander around the palace, looking for Illumi so they could leave the place. As she did so, her eyes spotted something on the outside of one of the many second store's windows. Many little black dots adorned the otherwise snow-white ground of the back of the wide gardens that surrounded the palace. Curious, the thief dismissed her search and went straight to the black dots.

* * *

Bleach's eyes doubled their size at finding that, those seemingly innocent black dots were, in fact, wooden crosses.

"This is a cemetery…" Bleach let out as she walked among the 70 or so crosses staked on the ground with wide eyes. "The Castere cemetery."

Suddenly, her eyes settled on something else, something that was made of fabric instead of wood: a teddy bear, sitting on the snowy ground with his back supported on one of the wooden crosses. Mechanically, her feet carried her to the cuddly toy.

 _I know this._  Bleach thought as she kneeled on the snow and grabbed the time-worn toy in her hands.  _I think it was mine once…_

A sharp pain went through her head, making her shut her eyes and clench her teeth as images began to go through her mind.

* * *

 _Inside a large and beautiful bedroom, a little girl_   _was sleeping soundly on her king-sized bed, curled up beneath thick blankets and hugging a teddy bear tightly to her chest. There was a soft smile on her face as she enj-_

_KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK._

_There was a frown on her face as her eyes opened slowly, revealing rainbow orbs to the darkness around her._

" _Alysa…" A small voice came from the other side of the door. "Alysa, you wakey?"_

_The little girl sighed and pushed the blankets off her so she could stand up and march to her bedroom door, rubbing sleepiness off her eyes with her right hand as her left one dragged the cuddly toy on the carpeted floor. Without a word, she opened the door softly, revealing the small figure of a little boy with white hair and black eyes._

" _Other bad dream, Drea?" The little girl asked softly, smiling down at the boy who couldn't be one year younger than her._

_Drea nodded his head quickly, blushing furiously._

" _Want sleep here?"_

_Again, the boy nodded._

_With a smile, "Alysa" grabbed the boy's hand and pulled him in the bedroom and on her bed. Immediately, he scooted close to her, grabbing one of her hands in his and touching his forehead to hers. With an amused smile, the little girl closed her eyes and put one of her hands over Drea's head, petting his hair._

" _I scared, Alysa."_

" _Don't be. You safe with me, Drea." Then, she pulled the teddy bear up to their faces. "Elmsy-bear will defend us!" She moved up the cuddly toy, pressing him softly to the little boy's face and rotating it from side to side quickly, tickling him._

" _S-Stop, Alysa! It tickle!"_

" _Understand now? Elmsy-bear tickle monsters to death!" The girl announced with a big smile. "Want keep him?"_

_Shyly, Drea nodded, prompting "Alysa" to give him the toy, which he quickly crushed to his chest. Both white-haired children smiled at each other before closing their eyes._

" _Sweet dreams, Drea."_

" _You too, Sis- I mean, Aly-"_

" _It alright. No one here to scold you."_

" _Okie dokie. Goodnight, Sis."_

* * *

Next thing Bleach knew, she was face down on the snow, clothes soaked and shaking. Tears were streaking down her contacts covered eyes.

Slowly, she raised herself to her knees and looked around her as she gave time to her brain to catch up to what the fuck was going on.  _Was that-_

_**A flashback? Of course, dumbass.** _

_Namid…_

_**Yes?** _

_I had a little brother. And I loved him… didn't I?_

…  _ **Yes, you did. You loved Drea very much. You loved all of your siblings.**_

_I had more siblings?_

_**You had two older sister, one older brother, Drea and a couple of new born twins.** _

_That many, huh?_

_**Yes.** _

_And they're all dead._

… _ **Yes.**_

* * *

Bleach didn't need anything else. Without making a sound, she put "Elmsy-bear" back on its spot and raised herself. She stalked away from her family's cemetery with hasty steps, all the while, drying her tears on the back of her sleeves.

"Where the fuck are you, Illumi. I want to leave this shitty place. Now."

* * *

_Secret scene - Inside the shadows._

_He was close. So close he could almost feel it; feel the Chosen One's last breath slip through her lips as his shadows choked the life out of her - the last heir of the Castere. With her death, his revenge would be as close to complete as it'd ever get._

_But that man had to interfere. That outlander that had nothing to do with anything. He just had to jump in to save the Chosen One! If only he wasn't that fast, the doors could've closed on them, trapping them in the Sealed Room until they died. Until_ _**he** _ _killed them._

_Still, while the Chosen One's knight in a shining armour was too busy saving the day, he missed how one of his precious shadows moved a small rock between the closed doors, preventing them from closing completely. The Seal wasn't able to redo itself so now he had a way out. It was nothing more than a thin gap, but it was something. Also, while he – unfortunately - hadn't synced with the Chosen One, his shadows had touched her, had left his mark on her pretty little neck. His Nen had mingled with hers and not even Namid had the power to fight it off._

_The Chosen One had only to wait. One day, Iadbo would get her._


	24. Quid Pro Quo

Bleach found that the eight hours of hiking from the palace to the nearest train station weren't nearly as slow and boring as the first time, now that her and Illumi were in somewhat civil terms. Sure, there were still many exchanges of insults and teasing, but they had lost their edge; it was all for good – and acid - fun.

Still, the woman couldn't wait to get into the train to enjoy the comfort of their private cabin and bathroom. No doubt, the assassin had booked them a first-class ticket to return to York Shin - as he had done on their way to the palace. And Bleach just couldn't wait to enjoy the large bedroom, equipped with two queen-sized beds, a fully stoked mini fridge, a large plasma TV, a nice and wide window with a beautiful view of the scenarios they'd pass through and, most of all, a large bathroom with a spacious shower tub for her to use.

* * *

As expected, as soon as Bleach and Illumi reached their cabin in the train, the first ran to the bathroom, determined to soak in the bathtub for hours and enjoy her first bath in three days with actual soap and shampoo. And bubbles; one can't forget her bubbles.

As soon as the woman disappeared in the bathroom, there was a knock on the cabin's door.

"Excuse me, sir, room-service for Mr. Illumi."

Illumi didn't waste a second in opening the door to let a young waiter in, carrying a tray with a bottle of a 50-years old Dalmore scotch, two low-ball glasses and a small bucket full of ice.

"Just leave it on the table." The assassin ordered, retrieving a fat tip for the boy, whose eyes doubled their size at the sight of money.

"Thank y-"

"Bye."

Illumi slammed the door on the boy's face loudly before marching to the table and opening the whiskey bottle. The assassin had just poured a healthy dose of the drink inside one of the glasses when the bathroom door opened and a half-dressed Bleach poked her head out.

"What was-"

Before the woman could blink, Illumi was right in front of her, practically shoving the scotch glass on her face. The very expensive, high quality, sweet smelling and mouth-watering scotch.

Illumi had to fight hard against the muscles on his face to keep the dark and sadistic smile from stretching impossibly widely on his lips as he watched the woman's eyes widen in surprise and darken in anticipation. Quickly, his eyes racked down her figure, taking in the view of her black bra and unzipped pants with satisfaction.

"W-What is that?" Bleach breathed out, eyes glued to the tempting liquid in the man's hand.

"This?" Illumi asked, encircling one of her hands around the glass, but never withdrawing it from her face. "This is to celebrate. I always treat myself after a finished job."

"C-Can't you celebrate over t-there?"

"Why? Wouldn't you like to join me?"

Bleach licked her lips.  _More than anything in the world._

Her hand tightened around the glass and she brought it closer to her lips as she took in a deep breath.  _Smell delicious._

 _Just a little sip._ As if in a trance, the woman touched her lips to the glass slowly and Illumi tensed in anticipation.

Maybe it was that moment of sudden tension in the man's body or maybe it was just pure luck that caused Bleach to raise her eyes to his. And what she saw made the drink's smell turn acid in her nostrils.

Illumi was watching her with sadistic expectancy in his wide, wide eyes, as if his orbs could coax her to indulge in the liquid temptation in her hand. The glint in his dark orbs was downright cruel and controlling and that was when she understood.  _He knows. The motherfucker knows I have drinking problems._

Something turned cold inside the woman's chest and her eyes blazed in hate and disgust.

"You're the most disgusting human being I have ever met."

Illumi's anticipation crumbled and he couldn't help but blink in confusion at the woman's words. But, before he could play it cool and ask what she was talking about, he found himself drenched in the expensive scotch that, just a second ago, was on its way to Bleach's mouth. He watched in stunned silence Bleach stomp out of their room, not minding that she was barefoot and only dressed in her pants and bra.

The assassin remained unmoving on his spot for minutes, staring at the low-ball glass that Bleach had dropped on the floor. Once again, he made a mistake. He pushed her too far, too soon.

* * *

Minutes later found Bleach brooding all alone at a table in the restaurant cart, receiving shocked looks from people around her. Some waiters had thought to approach the woman and ask her to leave due to her inappropriate attire, but the murderous Aura she was emitting scared them all away.

Glaring pitchforks at her table, Bleach didn't notice a man approaching her from behind before he had draped his grey coat over her shoulders. Startled, she jumped from her seat, whipping her head around to fix her eyes on the intruder.

"Calm down." The man said, raising his hands in a surrender gesture. "I'm not going to bite you."

Eyes narrowed in suspicion, Bleach lowered her eyes to the large coat over her shoulders before returning them to the man. He was skinny, with long white hair and a strange blue hat on his head.

"What the fuck do you want?"

"Nothing, really."

"Then what's up with giving me the coat?"

"You seem to need it more than I do." He said with a shrug.

Bleach spent moments glaring at the man, unwilling to trust him just like that. Finally, she took off his coat and threw it at him harshly before settling back at her table.

"Get the fuck out of my face. I don't need your pity."

The man blinked and, for a moment, considered to just turn around and leave the woman as she asked – demanded, really – him to. But his curiosity about the snappy, distrustful and half-naked stranger quickly squashed that, prompting him to take a seat at the table, in front of her.

Bleach glared darkly at the man for minutes, trying to intimidate him out of her table, but he just stared back at her with a levelled gaze. Finally, she let out an angry sigh and dropped her head on the cool surface of the table.

"What's your fucking name, anyway?" She asked.

"It's common courtesy to offer your name before demanding someone else's." The man spoke, earning himself another angry glare. "Why don't you tell me yours first?"

The glare remained. No introductions were made.

"… My name is Kaito." The man conceded.

"Bleach." The woman replied with a curt nod.

"And what ar- Wait a minute. What?" Suddenly, Kaito's eyes widened in surprise.

"What what?" Bleach demanded, confused by his reaction.

"You're Bleach? Ging's Bleach?"

It was Bleach's turn to widen her eyes.

"You know Ging?!" The woman asked, throwing herself over the table to grab at the front of his shirt. "WHERE THE FUCK IS HE?!"

Kaito – and the rest of the restaurant cart - stared at the desperate woman in front of him with scared eyes.

Then he broke out in laughter.

* * *

"So that shithead did the same thing with you, huh?" Bleach asked.

"Yes." He replied, smiling patiently at the woman who was now wearing his coat. "Ging-san really helped me out. If it wasn't for him, I'd probably be dead in a dirty alleyway somewhere."

"Yeah. Same here." There was no denying the softening of her eyes and voice. "He is truly amazing."

As soon as it was there, the softness disappeared, giving place to a forced annoyance. "But he is even more infuriating! The fuck is wrong with him to just up and leave us like that?! He could've at least have the fucking decency to give a phone number, an email address or some shit like that!"

"Well, it wouldn't be much of a hunt if all we had to do was schedule a meeting place with him, would it?" Kaito asked, smiling in amusement.

"Tsk. Whatever. Hey! Waiter, come here! I want to order dinner!" Bleach called loudly before turning her gaze back to Kaito. "You eating too?"

"Why not? I haven't had dinner yet. Not to mention that it ought to be interesting to exchange some words about our training with Ging."

Both pupils smirked in complicity.

* * *

Somewhere, at the left of the back of beyond, Ging was assaulted by a sneezing fit. The poor Archaeological Hunter kept sneezing non-stop for 45 minutes.

* * *

After a nice dinner, complemented by an even nicer Ging-bashing, Bleach could say her spirits had been lifted. She was ready to go back to her and Illumi's cabin.

And ignore the shit out of that fucking assassin.

"It was a great dinner, Kaito. Thank you for the company and for walking me to my cabin." The woman spoke with a bright smile, handing the man his coat. "And for lending me your coat."

"Don't mention it." The man replied with a dismissive smile. "Well, I'm going to my cabin and finish packing my stuff since I'll get off in the next stop."

"Oh! Let me give you my number." Bleach spoke, raising her hand in a gesture that demanded him to give her his cell phone.

With an acquiescing smile, Kaito complied with the unspoken order.

"Great! If you ever get word about Ging don't forget to call me, alright?"

"Alright."

Bleach smiled gratefully, returning to the man his phone. "It was nice meeting you, Kaito. I hope we get to see each other again."

"Something tells me we will." The man replied, returning the smile. "Bye and good luck on your hunt. You'll need it."

"Tell me something I don't know."

* * *

From his place, lying on one of the queen-sized beds inside his cabin, Illumi heard the exchange between the two Hunters with mild interest. Once again, the woman surprised him by overcoming his taunts with surprising ease; in less than an hour away from him, her voice recovered its confidence and playfulness as she talked with her new "friend". And the assassin couldn't help but feel relieved at her quick recovery. It meant he hadn't pushed her too much; there was still a chance for him to continue their game.

As soon as Bleach's new "friend" said his goodbye, the door to the cabin opened, allowing the woman in.

Illumi's emotionless eyes zeroed on hers and he was surprised to find that she wasn't staring hatefully at him. There was only indifference and tiredness in her eyes, as if he wasn't worth the trouble anymore. Her anger came when, with a quick scan of the room, her eyes settled on the untouched bottle of scotch on the table. Almost immediately, her body tensed, her pupils dilated and she licked her lips, poised to attack the innocent liquor.

Then, she turned around and stomped into the bathroom.

The assassin watched everything with interested eyes and didn't waste one second in walking to the side table, grabbing the bottle and following the woman.

* * *

The bathroom was very spacious, equipped with a large sink, a toilet, and a large tub shower. Bleach was standing in front of the sink, contacts lenses off, and ready to unhook her bra when the – locked, mind you - door was forced open by Illumi. Eyes blazing in indignation, Bleach turned around to scream blood murder at the assassin, but the words caught in her throat when she saw the almost full bottle of oh-so-fucking-wonderful scotch in his hand. The woman gulped and closed her eyes tightly, not wanting to stare at that liquid temptation any longer.

Despite not seeing, she knew the assassin had walked up to her. She felt the front of his body pressing against the front of hers, backing her up on the sink, felt his breath on her ear and felt his arms encircle her shoulders.

Then she heard the sound of liquid being poured.

The woman's eyes shot open, finding Illumi's staring at her intensely. Then, she turned her neck to look over her shoulder to find that his right hand was holding the bottle upside down over the sink's drain, pouring the ridiculously expensive nectar away. It was his way of making peace with her. Not an apology – oh, no – but an attempt of erasing his mistake.

Bleach's first instinct was to lash out at the assassin and stop him from wasting the drink, but she held it back, forcing herself to stay immobile and watch until the last drop of whisky had gone down the drain. When there was no more liquid to be wasted, she let out a deep sigh and dropped her head on the assassin's chest, as if the sink had drained all of her energy instead of the liquor.

"Why did you do it?" Bleach asked tiredly.

"Whatever do you mean?" Illumi responded, voice dripping with false innocence, as he laid the bottle on the sink.

"Don't play the stupid with me; I fucking hate it when you do that. You know very well what the fuck I'm talking about."

"Then don't play the stupid either. You know exactly why I did it." The assassin answered, laying his chin on top of the thief's head. "I'm a Manipulator and you know it. I see a way to control a person - a weakness, if you will - and I explore it."

"And is it worth it? To destroy a person's life just to get under their skin?"

"Depends."

Bleach frowned. "Depends? On what?"

_On what I want to do with the person and of how long I intend to use them._

"Well, that is for me to know and for you to wonder." The assassin answered, grabbing one of Bleach's hand and pulling her back into the bedroom. "But don't you think you're over-reacting? A glass of whisky wouldn't have ruined your life."

Bleach's eyes narrowed. "What would you know, shithead?"

Illumi sat down on the bed closest to him, still holding one of the woman's hands in his, and regarded her in silence for a long moment before pulling her in gently. Bleach resisted for some moments before finally allowing him to pull her down, on the right side of the bed, while he laid on the left one. Automatically, she turned around to give the man her back.

Bleach felt all of the muscles of her body tense when cold fingers undid the clasp of her bra and started to ghost over the many scars on her back.

"Could it be… these scars result from your past drinking problem?"

"That's none of your fucking business." Bleach spat.

She made to get out of the bed, but Illumi stopped her, grabbing her arm just above the elbow.

"Don't be like that. Talk to me."

"And why the fuck would I do that?"

"Because there is a confidentially clause in our contract. You get the chance to vent off to someone who is obliged to keep all your secrets safe."

"I don't give a shit about venting off; I don't need this kind of support-group shit. I've lived my whole life without it and did just fine!" Bleach snapped, turning around to fix her glare on the man. "Also, don't think you fool me, jackass. I know all you want is to get some dirty on me –  _a_   _weakness, if you will_  – to find a way to get into my head and drive me fucking insane!"

Intending to antagonize the woman further, Illumi smirked and lowered his eyes to her now exposed breasts. Bleach noticed it and her glare doubled its intensity.

"Fucking pervert! That's it! I'm going to take a ba-"

"What about an exchange?" The assassin offered. "I ask you a question and you ask me one. Nothing is fairer than a traditional quid-pro-quo, don't you agree?"

Bleach frowned. "Why the fuck would I like to know more about you? What I know already just serves to make me sick."

"Wouldn't you like to know more about the lifestyle Killu grew in?"

Bleach's eyes widened and she opened her mouth to screech at him, but, a second later, closed her lips again. She repeated the motion a few times before settling with a pout. Internally, Illumi smirked widely; it seemed that his little brother was one of her weaknesses, something that deeply pleased the assassin.

"Fine. But I start." Bleach said, grabbing one of the pillows and hugging it tightly to her chest. "Before we begin digging Killua's fucked up childhood, there's something I have to ask. What's up with the condom? Did you intend to fuck me on this trip since the beginning?"

Illumi blinked. That question he didn't expect.

"No, I didn't. I always carry some condoms with me. Some jobs are easier when I seduce my targets or women close to them, but I'm not about to expose myself to any kind of biohazard, hence the condoms." Illumi explained.

"And you called  _me_  whore?" Bleach asked with an acid smirk on her lips.

"My turn." Illumi began. "When did you start drinking?"

"When I was 14."

"That was ear-"

"Why are you such a jackass with Killua? Not that I don't think you're not a jackass every fucking day of your life, but with Killua you seem to be especially annoying."

To Bleach's surprise, Illumi averted his eyes to the ceiling for a second.

He knew that question was coming and knew exactly how to answer, but he had to pretend that the woman had him with it and that his response would be thoughtful and heartfelt.

"Killu… is very special. He is our family's heir and, as such, had the best training we could provide. By the time Killu's training began, I was already an experienced assassin and was given the chore of helping to train him. And so I did. I trained and moulded Killu to become the best assassin in history. His potential is something unparalleled, but now he wants to lay it all to waste because of something as frivolous and fleeting as  _friends_. Killu was born for greatness and it is my job assure he will achieve it." Illumi spoke in a contemplative voice. "But that's not all… I love my family, especially my Killu. I want him back home."

Bleach bit her lip, not knowing if she should buy Illumi's desperate big brother act or not. On one side, she honestly believed Illumi had some sort of twisted affection towards Killua and wanted him back, wanted the boy to succeed as an assassin. On the other, the elder Zoldyck sibling seemed too much on the greedy side to wish that without any sort of hidden agenda. But, then again, she could've just been overly paranoid. It had happened before.

"Well?"

Removed from her thoughts by Illumi's voice, Bleach blinked. The assassin was once again staring back into her eyes.

"Well what?"

Illumi sighed. "Why did you start drinking?"

The assassin didn't lose the way the woman's rainbow eyes widened in something akin to fear at the question before she narrowed them at the ceiling with the most anger and disgust he had ever seen in those alluring orbs. Minutes passed before she closed her eyes and hissed out a breath between her teeth.

"I wanted to forget…" The thief began, speaking through gritted teeth. "When I was 14, I was sent on a theft job with a man named Cressar and he raped me. After I finally managed to run away from him, I started drinking."

" _Finally_? How many ti-"

"When did you start Killua's pain-endurance training?" Bleach interrupted in an almost desperate voice, not turning her narrowed eyes from the ceiling.

 _She never disappoints, does she?_ Raped at the age of 14 and, instead of breaking down in tears at the memory, Bleach just gritted her teeth, glared at the roof and changed the subject. Illumi loved it. He just couldn't stand whining.  _Though a little show of vulnerability wouldn't hurt._

"When he was four, just like me, Millu and Kallu." Illumi answered, moving so he laid on his side and could reach a hand to grab the woman's shoulder. Softly, he pushed it away, so her back was turned to him once again. "How did you get these scars?" He asked, caressing the white and pink lines marring Bleach's skin.

"When I was younger, I was forced to steal for the Mafia. I tried to escape them many times, but I was always caught. Most of those scars come from the lashings I received as a punishment from trying to run away." Bleach answered easily. "Others come from Cressar and some of my most violent clients of my time serving as a  _pretty whore."_

Illumi's hand settled on Bleach's waist and, before she could ask her question, he shot her another one.

"Would you like me to kill them for you? No charge."

Bleach's eyes widened at the offer. First and foremost, she saw Illumi as a gold-digger, an unfeeling bastard who was capable of doing just about anything, for a price. Offering his services to her just like that was something that actually made her heart skip a beat, as if that question was actually a gesture of care.

Exactly what Illumi wished her to believe in.

Still with her back turned to the assassin, the thief shook her head softly. "No. I was too much of a drunk whore to remember who my clients were, anyway. And Cressar… well, he is already dead."

Illumi felt himself grow excited at what those words implied. "Did you kill him?"

"…Yes."

And, just like that, the assassin was hard. "How indecent."

Bleach couldn't help but smirk at those words. Leave it up for Illumi to describe a murder as something "indecent".

"Whatever, my turn to ask the questions." She put in. "And, since you asked me three questions on a row, I do believe I'm entitled the same courtesy."

"By all means." Illumi purred. "Fire away."

Bleach rolled over so she was facing the assassin once again and, after some seconds of intense examination, urged him to take his shirt off and show her his back as well. Illumi ended sitting up on the bed with his back to a kneeled Bleach, who had completely forgotten about covering herself with the pillow and was now touching the expanse of the assassin's exposed back. It was very muscular and soft to the touch. Not to mention devoid of any kind of marks.

"How the fuck can you have such perfect skin? I know for a fact you were tortured as well." Bleach demanded, feeling a pang of envy at the man's flawless back.

"My torture sessions were very controlled as to inflict the maximum amount of pain possible but not mar my skin. Not to mention that I'd receive medical attention as soon as my parents were done with me. Beauty can be a very useful tool for an assassin, so it would be stupid of them to remove it from me by leaving ugly scars on my body." Illumi explained, turning his head to see Bleach glaring at his back with envy in her eyes. "Don't be envious. I find your scars very endearing."  _Although, I would like them better if I was the reason they were there._

A blush quickly crept up the woman's neck and cheeks as her hands quickly retracted from the assassin's skin, as if they had just been burned by it.

"A-Anyway…Eh… How old was Killua when he took his first job?"

"Eight."

Bleach's eyes widened before narrowing in anger once again and her right fist was raised in the air, ready to deliver a blow on Illumi's right kidney. Before her fist made contact with it, Illumi managed to grab both of her wrists – one in each hand – and pin her on the bed. Illumi held her hands on the mattress above her head and put himself between her legs, forcing them to encircle his waist. With a predatory glint in his eyes, Illumi lowered his head until his forehead was touching Bleach's. Her eyes didn't stop glaring at him for one second.

"You're sick!" She accused. "Making a little child kill someone! That's fucking disgusting!"

"I don't expect you to understand our reality." Illumi spoke calmly. "But do refrain from lashing out at every little thing that displeases you, alright? I might just break your hand next time I catch you trying to hit me."

"Don't worry; next time I won't let you catch me." Bleach shot back defiantly.

Internally, Illumi smiled in satisfaction. He didn't expect anything less from the woman.

"Now, you have one last question to make." He whispered. "What will it be?"

Bleach bit her lip for a second. She didn't want to ask about Killua's past anymore; it was too depressing to imagine that little boy she had learned to love going through all of those fucked up things. By the hands of his own family, nonetheless! She had to think about another question. One that couldn't possibly involve Killua…

Not knowing if it was because of her frustration or because of the compromising position – fuck, why was it so pleasant to have his chest pressed up against hers like that?- they were in, Bleach's next question turned out to be:

"How was your first time like?"

Illumi sat back on his heels, crossed his arms over his chest, and blinked. Then he blinked again. And again. "My… first time?"

As her question finally sunk in her mind, Bleach's face began to grow redder and redder, until its colour rivalled that of a very juicy tomato.  _Fucking brain… From all of the fucking questions you could've come up with!_

"Yes!" She confirmed, staring up at the man defiantly. No use going back now.

"It was… informative." Illumi spoke, flopping back to the bed, besides a now confused Bleach.

The man crossed his arms behind his head and stared up at the ceiling, reminiscing. Curious, Bleach couldn't help but lay on her side, facing the assassin so she could give his words her full attention. Something was different about the man's demeanour. Not only wasn't he looking her in the eyes as he loved to do, but he was also taking an unusual amount of time to answer her.

"I was sixteen. It was with highly trained, very well versed and ridiculously expensive courtesan my father had hired. Her name was Léonie, and she had blood red hair. She was supposed to educate me in sex. She taught me many things about pleasuring women, and even men and, by the time she was finished with me, I knew enough techniques and positions to write a book that would rival the Kama Sutra."

Bleach tensed a little. Not only did the Zoldycks' creepiness reach a completely new level in her opinion, but there was also something strange in the detached way Illumi was speaking.

"How long did you stay together?"

"28 days and 14 hours."

Bleach's eyes widened. He remembered the exact number of hours?

"…And what happened with her after that?"

Bleach saw Illumi's jaw clench for a second and understood she had made a mistake; she shouldn't have probed like that. However, when Illumi turned his head to stare into her eyes once again, she knew there was no taking it back. Those black holes of his held something very scary and dark in them, but that was normal. What wasn't normal was the underlying, almost imperceptible, hint of an actual emotion in them. For a second, Bleach could swear she saw anger in those eyes and that made her freeze in fear.

"I killed her."

* * *

The tense atmosphere was gone as soon as Illumi's next question left his lips.

" _How much do you remember about your family?"_

From that question on, the game went from trying to find out the other's dirty little secrets to asking the first question that came to mind. Naturally, Illumi would still hit unknown ground and probe secrets that - in Bleach's opinion at least - were better left buried, but most of the time the game was light in an almost childish way. Still, both Hunters spent many hours in their quid-pro-quo, until Bleach had finally fallen asleep.

Now, Illumi was sitting on the bed with his back supported by the headboard, watching the woman lying face down beside him with a detached expression.

_Just what in the world is she?_

The woman never ceased to surprise him and that was something that seemed unlikely to change.

From her fit at seeing the bottle of Dalmore in his hand to her random questions in the late stages of their little game, she managed to keep Illumi on edge. He did his best and used all his experience in manipulating people to foresee what the woman would do and say, but he never quite managed to get it 100% right. Bleach always found a way out of his schemes; always surprised him with a surge of self-confidence or a moment of embarrassed spontaneity that the assassin could never predict.

But he was getting there.

Sure, he was far from gaining her absolute trust – though, she was starting to feel more secure and at ease in his presence – but he was close to understand which buttons he should press to make her dance to his song.

And so, Illumi found himself wishing to keep her by his side. She stimulated him in ways no one had ever done before and he just coulldn't wait until he had her wrapped around his finger.

Mechanically, Illumi reached with his right hand to entwine a lock of Bleach's white hair around his index finger. He really like her hair, not only was it of a pretty white colour -  _just_   _like Killu's_  - but it was also very pleasant to the touch; fluffy, like cotton candy.

Then, his thoughts returned to that question about Léonie… It brought back unpleasant memories.

As a virgin boy of sixteen who had never had a relevant interaction with anyone outside of his family, Illumi was a far cry from the well-versed and manipulative man he is today. So, after being introduce to Léonie and the pleasures she provided him – again and again – the young assassin had been fairly certain he had fallen in love with the courtesan.

But her love for him lasted only 28, 14 hour and 500 million jenny.

After his lessons were concluded, Léonie was all too happy to leave the hotel penthouse they had been inhabiting and return to her own mansion, away from the assassin in the making and back to her lover's arms.

Sadly for her, Illumi followed her home. Sadly for her and her lover, he had watched their love-making with wide eyes that didn't miss one single detail.

He killed them both without a second thought.

When he returned home, covered in the lovers' blood, his father was livid and his mother desperate. It was an unpaid, emotional, sloppy and unjustified kill and it deserved punishment. A hours-long punishment that was marked in Illumi's memories as the worst he had to endure all of his life.

Illumi closed his eyes for a second at the memory. Killing Léonie and her lover was the biggest of his failures; it was the slip of self-control he would never forget or forgive. He had been too inexperienced to understand his emotions, confounding lust with love, and too immature to know how to deal with them. It angered him, the fact that he had made such a mistake.

But he was a different man now; a man with perfect control over his emotions and actions. No woman would make him forget his priorities ever again.

With that though in mind, Illumi slid down the bed and closed his eyes. They would arrive at their stop in three hours and, while the assassin refused to make the same mistake of falling asleep so close to Bleach again – lest she decided to wake him up with a trumpet this time - he could afford to close his eyes for a couple of hours.

A small smirk went to his lips as the woman's last question came to mind. It had been, by far, one of the most random question he had ever been asked and that was something coming from a man who has Hisoka as his "friend".

" _What's your favourite flower?"_  she had asked, between long yawns. He answered he didn't have any and, before he could shoot his own question, she was fast asleep.

_Such a selfish woman._


	25. Making Up

_Illumi slid down the bed and closed his eyes. They would arrive at their stop in three hours and, while the assassin refused to make the same mistake of falling asleep so close to Bleach again – lest she decided to wake him up with a trumpet this time - he could afford to close his eyes for a couple of hours._

_A small smirk went to his lips as the woman's last question came to mind. It had been, by far, one of the most random question he had ever been asked and that was something coming from a man who has Hisoka as his "friend"._

_"What's your favourite flower?" she had asked, between long yawns. He answered he didn't have any and, before he could shoot his own question, she was fast asleep._

* * *

Bleach woke up less than 30 minutes before their stop, but she was so comfortable that, for some moments, the woman forced her body to remain in that delightful limbo between sleep and awareness as she snuggled closer to the very warm body she was hugging.  _Hmm… So war- whaaaat the fuck?_

Bleach's eyes snapped open, only to see a light, flawless and muscled back beneath and strands of silky ebony hair tickling her face. Then, her eyes trailed lower, following the curve of Illumi's back molded on the front of her body and finding her right arm thrown over Illumi's waist, holding the man close to her.

"AHHHHHHHHH!"

For the first time in months, Illumi felt like throwing his head back to enjoy a good laugh - even though he remained motionless and emotionless. In less than a second, the woman went from cuddling like a kitten to leaping like a tiger. Out of the bed and onto the hard ground.

Holding back the urge to laugh, Illumi rolled over to stare at the woman gracelessly sprawled on the floor with emotionless eyes that held back a sea of amusement.

"Good morning, honey." The assassin greeted in a mocking voice, stretching himself like a lazy cat. "Did you sleep well?"

To the assassin's surprise, instead of a throwing a barrage of insults at him, all Bleach did was widen her eyes. And blush, so much.  _Didn't know it was possible for a human being to have that much blood flowing to her head._

"I… was… with you?" She stuttered, rainbow eyes staring at anything in the room but the black ones staring back at her. "I mean… we… all night?"

Illumi blinked. "What  _exactly_  do you think we did?"

"I… nothing… sorry…" Bleach finished lamely, dropping her gaze to the ground. Then, she stood up quickly and turned to the bathroom. "I… bathroom…"

"Be quick about it. Our stop is the next, so we'll have to leave in about-"

SLAM

"-20 minutes."

* * *

Once safe inside the bathroom, Bleach ran to the sink to splash her face. Several times.

_I did NOT sleep in the same bed as Illumi. I did NOT sleep in the same bed as Illumi. I did NOT sleep in the same bed as Illumi. I did NOT sleep in the same bed as Illumi. I did N- OH MY FUCKING GOD, I_ _**DID!** _ _I CUDDLED WITH THAT CREEP!_

The woman was mentally kicking herself – while physically hitting her head on the sink – for her momentary lapse of judgement. How could she allow herself to fall asleep on the same bed as that man?! Fucking, she could understand – it was about stress relief; scratching an itch – but  _cuddling_?! Cuddling and kissing was for lovers! Or, for the very least, people that cared about each other! Caresses like those were demonstrations of affection and, as such, should be reserved to special people! Like Harry and Elmsy and –  _oh, I don't know, GING_!

Bleach had been fucked by a lot of men in her whoring days, but there were two rules she had always followed: no spending the night and no kissing. Not that it was very hard, since most of her clients didn't give a rat's ass about that romantic stuff. They paid for a couple of rough thrust and that was it.

Harry, the boy she had dated during her two years window before the Hunter Exam, had been the one to finally introduce her to kissing and its pleasures. Sure, Cressar had forced some kisses upon her lips, but they were always violent and unpleasant, so Harry had to literally explain why exactly kissing could be good and teach her how to do it.

" _It has to be gentle, Bleach. A kiss is nothing more than a token of appreciation."_

" _Like a hug?"_

" _Exactly like a hug. Only deeper, more meaningful."_

Bleach loved kissing; it gave sex a much necessary gentleness that made her feel good about giving herself to another man. It showed that the sex was a consensual act between two people that cared about each other; it gave meaning to it. Not that the physical gratification wasn't good enough, but... well, it  _was_  better when you did it with someone you liked and whom liked you back.

And that was why she had kissed and had sex with Elmsy. There was no doubt the man cared about her more than he did anyone else in this world, and Bleach wanted to return such care to him in the best way she knew how: physically. In Bleach's opinion, sex, when combined with kissing and gentle caresses, was a great way to express appreciation and care.

There was the difference between what she had with Harry and Elmsy and what she was close to have with Illumi: that had been sex, this would be fucking. That had emotions – no matter how implicit – attached to the act, while this would be nothing more than pure physical satisfaction.

And yet, she had done with the assassin something she had never done before: she spent a whole night in the same bed as he, _cuddling_ , something she had intended to do with Ging and Ging alone. Even during her time with Cressar, she'd manage to sneak out of their bed during the night and return to it some minutes before he woke up, as to not antagonize him.

_Brilliant, Bleach! Just fucking brilliant! What's next in you two lovebirds' list? Hand-feeding each other fucking breakfast?!_

* * *

As soon as Bleach stepped out of the bathroom, wearing her contacts and completely dressed this time, Illumi – aka: Bleach's personal Pandora's Box - shoved a bagel in her mouth and proceeded to drag her out of the room and through the train's corridors.

"Here's your breakfast. Eat while we walk because we have no time to lose; we've reached our stop already."

Bleach cried out in frustration through the bagel Illumi had  _hand-fed her_.

* * *

The averting of eyes, the blushing and the awkward silence Illumi had expect after their first tryst came full-force after they had, literally, slept together, and the assassin was nothing short of baffled because of it. The woman had no qualms about him using her body like currency, but a little cuddling reduced her to the status of a metaphorical blushing virgin?  _And people think I'm the one emotionally stunted._

From the moment she woke up to where they were now, standing inside their airship room – which was very much like their train cabin with two queen-sized beds, a plasma TV, a mini-fridge and a wide window - Bleach had barely exchanged ten words with him, something that was both deeply amusing and slightly annoying. Illumi had grown used to the woman's defiant stares and mocking smirks. This nervous excuse of her did not sit well with him.

Bleach gave their room a quick once-over before marching to the bathroom door. She remembered that she didn't have the chance to enjoy her much needed bath in the train. Also, it was a way to keep her distance from  _him_.

Illumi was having none of it.

Before Bleach could enter her intended sanctuary, the assassin was standing in the doorway, staring down at her intensely. The thief kept her eyes down.

"Excuse me? I want to take a bath."

"What is wrong with you?" Illumi asked, ignoring her words completely.

"N-Nothing is wrong with me!" Bleach answered all too quickly. "I'm just fine!"

Illumi didn't bother with a verbal answer; he just laid his right shoulder on the doorframe.

"Fine…" Bleach let out with a sigh before finally forcing her contacts covered eyes up to meet the man's black orbs. She just knew she was blushing profusely. "It's just that I… …"

"What?"

"…"

"You'll have to speak louder. I'm not a dog."

"I never slept on the same bed as anyone before! Alright?!" The woman exploded, narrowing her eyes in that challenging anger Illumi was used to. "Fucking, sure. Done that countless times. But actually spending the night with someone? Never. You may laugh as much as you want of the shit I'm about to say, but the fact is: I intended to save that for someone special. And now, I've fucking wasted it on YOU! From all of the fucking people in the world, YOU are the first one I've spent the night with! And it fucking pisses me off! I was saving that for Ging!"

For the second time in his life, Illumi had to fight off the urge to laugh. He had never imagined that Bleach, from all of the people in the world, would be such a romantic.  _How adorable._

"… No one will know." Illumi said at least, eyes glinting in amusement. "You can just tell this Ging person that he was your "first". No harm done."

"What the fuck do you know?!" Bleach yelled in frustration, finger poking the man's chest harshly. "It's not about Ging! It's about me! You know better than anyone that all of my first times were taken from me without me having a fucking say in it! This was my only fucking chance of choosing whom I did it with! And I wanted it to happen with someone I lo- cared about! I wanted it to be fucking meaningful because of  _me,_  not because of another man!"

By the time Bleach's outburst was finished, she was delivering dejected punches on Illumi's chest, forehead laid between her fists as she glared at their feet. She didn't even try to fight off the arms that were now hugging her shoulders and pressing her to the muscular chest she was assaulting.

That was the moment Illumi had been waiting for; the moment of vulnerability and self-disappointment he could explore. But he had to be careful; the woman in his arms was as unpredictable as she was amusing and, if he wanted to grow on her, he had to play his cards perfectly. He doubted a chance like this would come again. Hence, minutes passed in a very thoroughly contemplation before Illumi finally allowed himself to speak.

"It was your choice. It may not have been with the man you love and it may not have been conscious, but it was _you_  who chose to sleep with me. No one forced you in any way; what happened last night was completely under your control. And it'll continue to be your choice because you're strong enough to make sure of it. And it doesn't matter if it was meaningless because you'll have the chance with sleep with Ging – or whatever other man you want - in the future and you'll be able to give meaning to  _that._ "

Illumi saying that something was in  _someone else's control?_  Illumi saying to the potentially most useful pawn to get his little Killu back not to give importance to  _him_? He felt an almost physical pain as the words left his lips, but, the moment the woman raised her wide and tear-filled eyes to look at him with a look full of gratitude, he knew he had made the right choice. He finally had Bleach where he wanted her to be.

"I… I… need to take a bath." The woman spoke.

Immediately, Illumi moved from the door to let her pass. However, to the assassin's surprise, instead of walking past him, Bleach remained frozen on her spot, staring up at him with that deliciously vulnerable expression on her face that aroused him far too much, way too soon. However, when that expression was replaced by a sinful smirk, the man changed his mind: that smirk teased him ten times more than those doe-eyes.

"You know, you're smelling like shit as well." She spoke as her eyes roamed his body shamelessly. "You could use a shower."

Illumi raised an eyebrow at her. "Are you inviting me to join you in the shower?"

"If you don't wa-"

Bleach didn't get to finish her sentence before she was pushed into the bathroom.

* * *

**ATTENTION. LEMON STARTS NOW.**

"When you invited me in, I thought we'd be doing something else entirely."

Bleach smirked in amusement as she shampooed her hair, her back turned to the assassin. Both were standing inside a large tub shower that was pouring hot water on them.

"I wasn't lying when I said you were stinking." She said, giving him a teasing look from over her shoulder.

"Yes, you were. I smell just fine."

"Man, less talking and more soaping. I'm not going to fuck someone who smells like-"

"Soap and shampoo? Because, unlike you, I actually bathed in our train cabin. You're the only little piggy here." Illumi said, raising a sardonic eyebrow that was quick to fulfil its duty and annoy the woman.

Scowling, Bleach turned around and gave the man a hard shove… that didn't make him bulge an inch.

"And whose fucking fault is that?!"

"Yours, for storming out of the room like a temperamental teenager." Illumi answered in a bored voice.

Bleach opened her mouth to screech out a response, but, before any words could leave her lips, she was pushed beneath the showerhead. One of the assassin's hand was messaging the back of her head, while the other went straight to her-

"Ah!" Bleach gasped, eyes shutting tightly as her hands shot out to grab at the man's shoulders for support. "Fucking skilled fingers…"

"They're not the only ones who are skilled." The man whispered huskily in her ear, never halting the motions of his hand. "Let me say, there is a very skilled tongue involved in this as well."

"Really?" Bleach's eyes twinkled in excitement – she had given oral sex many times before, but never received it - and she couldn't help but ghost her lips over the man's chest. "Then why don't you get on your fucking knees and prove it?"

"I was talking about yours." Illumi said matter-of-factly, clenching his jaw when Bleach's mouth closed over one of his nipples.

Bleach was nipping and kissing Illumi's chest so he couldn't see the amused smirk that stretched on her teasing, teasing lips. Lips that started going down his sculpted abs and to the quickly hardening shaft between his legs. The man observed with wide and attentive eyes as the woman kneeling before him planted kisses just above his member, her hands massaging the hard muscles of his thighs.

His hands soon lowered to take fistfuls of white hair in a soft grip.

Feeling the light pressure on her scalp, Bleach raised her rainbow eyes to Illumi's black ones and couldn't help but blush. Not one of his facial muscles twitched, but there was that unmistakable smoulder of anticipating desire in his eyes that made her breath catch in her throat. The assassin's stare was one of the most intense things she had ever seen and it was making heat pool in her cheeks and groin astoundingly fast.

Illumi didn't miss the short moment of lustful stupor crossing over the woman's face and he couldn't help but feel a surge of satisfaction in his chest. Finally, she was coming around and dancing to his song.

The assassin was taken from his thoughts when Bleach snapped out of her stupor and gave him a devilish smirk before wrapping her lips around the head of his hard member. With a satiated sigh, he tightened his hold on her hair – careful not to hurt her though - and dropped the back of his head on the wall's cool tiles, doing what he could to keep from thrusting his hips in and out of the warm mouth surrounding him.

Bleach hummed and sucked at the hard flesh in her mouth as her head bobbed up and down, sometimes at a fast pace that left the man's muscles tense as rock, other times at her leisure, enjoying the way he would lightly pull at her hair, as if asking her to regain speed. She loved it, the way he was giving subtle hints of what he wanted but not forcing it upon her, not demanding more than what she was willing to give.

Truth was, Illumi had finally figured her out. Despite being a very random person, prone to unjustified fits of anger, the thief had a very prominent characteristic that allowed him to foresee a significant part of her actions and words: she was a born egocentric. Not in the sense that she didn't care about people surrounding her, but in the sense that she did as she pleased. She was very well capable of giving her life away for someone, as long as it was something she _chose_  to do.

Bleach had to have the choice to keep going or walk away - or, at least, believe she did. He couldn't make harsh demands from her; she had enough of that from the years of abuse she took working for the Mafia and whoring herself out for violent men. He had to be subtle and, most of all, gentle. And if he topped that with unspoken promises of giving her something in return… then, he could get just about anything out of the woman.

But he had to take care not to get it too fast.

"Slow down." Illumi spoke as he forced his arms to pull her up.

As much as he wanted to just let her finish, he had to keep himself in control. If there was a time to that ridiculous male pride of having to "prove his virility" and "make the woman come before he did" this was it. Not that he had anything to worry about; he knew he was more than capable of giving her a mind-blowing pleasure that would make her eyes roll back in her head, and get her to come crawling to him at the snap of his fingers.

Bleach furrowed her eyebrows in confusion as Illumi pulled her to her feet, but, before she could ask what he was doing, his hands were around her waist, hoisting her up and pressing her between him and the shower's wall. Automatically, her legs wrapped around his waist and her arms around his neck, holding onto him tightly as his lips descended on a perky nipple and sucked greedily. Bleach gasped and arched into him, pushing more of herself to his touch. There was not much of that lovely sentiment of care between her and the assassin - but, damn! he knew what he was doing!

As the woman lost herself in the feeling of his mouth on her breasts, Illumi lowered his hands to her butt cheeks, using that hold to grind the woman to him, rubbing her already dripping wet folds to his lower abdomen. The motion made her release low moans from the back of her throat and Illumi couldn't help but smirk.

"This is good,  _Bleach_." Illumi said, raising his head to gaze intensely into the woman's smouldering rainbow eyes, satisfied at finding them open and staring right back at him. "Being like this with you, it isn't bad."

Bleach felt something tighten in her lower abdomen at the words he had just said.

Inside she was melting in a puddle at the attention she was receiving –  _who would've ever guessed that Illumi could be such a thoroughly lover?_ – but, on the outside, she was smirking cockily down at the man, as if nothing he did was surprising atall. But Illumi knew better; those eyes did not lie.

"Well… you're – ah! – not bad… yourself.  _Illumi."_

Illumi buried his head on her breasts once again, lest he show her just how much he enjoyed this. Enjoyed her clinging to him and breathing out his name with so much need and passion. All made much sweeter by the fact that she wouldn't be caught dead admitting to anyone, especially to herself, that she actually craved his touch. For a moment, Illumi wondered what she would do if he were to stop now or, even worse, if he demanded her to beg for it  _– she'd_   _probably try to choke the life out of me –_ but forgot about it almost instantaneously. There was always later, after all.

Bleach panted as the man planted heartfelt kisses on the four circular scars on her chest that she had received from Noir during the Hunter Exam, before raising his gaze back to hers. His dark eyes were intense and promising.

With a shaky breath, the thief closed her eyes and dropped her forehead on Illumi's, smirking in satisfaction at what was about to come. She felt as the assassin's hands rose back to their place at her waist and held her firmly, before slowly lowering her down his erect member. She let out a delighted gasp as the head entered her, anticipating the feeling of the rest of it.

But then he stopped. Completely.

"Fuck."

Bleach's eyes snapped open at the curse; it hadn't left  _her_  lips. For a moment, she feared someone else was in the shower with them, because, despite all of the bickering and downright verbal lashings she and Illumi had exchanged, not once did the assassin curse. She was sure he thought himself above such vulgar language.  _Guess not._

"What happened?" Bleach asked, staring down at a cascade of black hair. Illumi had once again dropped his head on her chest. "Why the fuck did you stop?"

She felt the assassin sigh on her breasts and, before she knew it, he was hoisting her up and off him. "Get on your feet."

More confused than annoyed at what was happening, Bleach complied, removing her legs from around the man's waist and laying her feet on the shower tub floor before raising her inquiring eyes to his. Illumi looked down at her with emotionless eyes, appearing completely calm and unaffected by what he had just stopped.

"What happened?" She asked again.

"I left the condoms in the room."

Bleach's jaw dropped before she shut it tightly again. She had to keep her mouth shut, else she'd burst out laughing right in front of the man. However, the amusement that flicked in her eyes didn't go unnoticed by the assassin, who, was he any less in control of himself, would be glaring daggers at her.

"I fail to see the humour in this."

"I-I'm sorry." Bleach breathed out, covering her mouth with her hand as she stared up at the man with mirth in her eyes. "It's not funny, really. It's just actually… kind of cute, you know? That you worry so fucking much about it. But you're absolutely right-"

Both Nen-users paused at that. Had Bleach honestly said that Illumi was right?  _Absolutely_ right _?_

She shrugged her shoulders dismissively. "Well,  _in this_ , you are right." Then, she turned off the shower and grabbed Illumi's hand, leading him out of the tub shower and into the bedroom. "Let's go get your condoms."

Bleach knew there was no risk for either of them. She had been on the pill since Ging had taken her to that doctor's appointment, when she was sixteen. And she was pretty sure Illumi didn't have any kind of disease to give her; this happening only served to prove how much Illumi was in control of himself not to let himself go and fuck a woman without a condom.

Also, she knew for a fact that she was clean. That doctor had assured her that all she had caught during her whoring days would cured after she received proper treatment – which she did. And Harry and Elmsy had both wore condoms when she had had sex with them, so there was no way for her to have gotten anything from them.

Still, wearing a condom was a great habit of the assassin and she was not about to discourage it. Gods know that if all men did so, she'd have saved a lot of money in morning-after pills. Not to mention it would've spared her some pain-in-ass – quite literally, mind you – penicillin shots.

* * *

Soon, the two of them were on the bed.

Illumi was freely grinding his hips on Bleach's, teasing her with delicious friction as his mouth sucked and nibbled on the flesh of her neck and his hands messaged her breasts skilfully. The assassin was enjoying the woman's pants far too much.

Bleach didn't lag behind. Her legs were tight around his waist as she undulated her hips in synchrony with his, always searching more contact between them. Her mouth was mimicking his, planting sloppy kisses on his shoulder, as her hands caressed every bit of skin they could find, making the hard muscles of the assassin's back, arms and shoulders twitch in appreciation at the bold attention they were receiving.

Then, the assassin lowered his right hand to her warm centre. With a nibble on her ear, he found her clit with his thumb and started to tease it, pressing and circling it in a way that stole the pretty thief's breath away and made him grit his teeth. She was so wet, and it was all  _because of_   _him_.

"Y-Yes, just like that… Ah!... Illumi."

With a pleased smile, the assassin entered her.

In a strong and fluid motion, Illumi had penetrated her completely, letting out a satiated and relieved sigh at feeling her wrapped around him. He raised his left hand from the woman's chest to lay it by her head on the mattress, using his forearm as a support to raise his upper body. Only then, when he could see her flushed features, did he start to move his hips in slow but deep thrusts. Thrusts that were never quite the same; always changing their angle somehow, looking for something. Jaw clenched in concentration, Illumi took in her glazed eyes, her pants and moans - everything in her face – as he searched for that reaction that would tell him when he hit her sweet spot.

Sooner rather than later, Bleach threw her head back, her rainbow eyes rolling back and her mouth dropping open as a silent scream left her lips. Illumi smirked in satisfaction; there it was.

The assassin dropped his head back to her neck, allowing soft pants to escape his lips and grace the woman's ear as he increased his tempo, hitting that same spot over and over again with demonic precision. The hand that was supporting his weight buried itself in Bleach's hair, holding a fistful of it.

Bleach lost all will of keeping up with Illumi as he hit a spot in her that had never been touched before. Instead of caressing his muscles, she was now moaning and clutching his shoulders for dear life as her body trembled from the man's ministrations. His mouth panting lowly by her ear, his deep thrusts, his thumb on her clit… It was all too much for her.

"Oh, fuck. Illumi..."

In a matter of minutes, Bleach shut her eyes tightly and threw her head back as her body shook violently and her orgasm began to descend, but Illumi kept going strong, pushing her ecstasy to a stronger level and a longer duration.

After the woman stopped trembling beneath him, Illumi retrieved his right hand from her swollen nub and slowed down his thrusts, but never stopped. Bleach's eyes opened in surprise and she couldn't keep the dreamy smirk from stretching on her lips as her second orgasm began building up. Maybe –  _just maybe_  – Illumi being so much in control of his body wasn't so bad after all; especially if he was going to use said control to give her multiple orgasms like that.

Her thoughts were interrupted when the assassin raised his upper body from hers, using the hand that had been buried in her hair to grab her right leg and pull it over his shoulder. A delighted gasp left the thief's lips as the new position allowed the man on top of her deeper access to that sweet spot inside of her that she hadn't even know existed until then. Automatically, her left leg encircled his waist, pulling him even closer to her body.

Bleach smirked up at Illumi, raising her left hand to ghost it over his chest and abdomen appreciatively, urging him to come closer to her.

The man smirked back, complying with her silent request and lowering his torso to hers once again, sandwiching her right thigh between them as his thrusts grew in power and speed; his left hand held her thigh tightly in position, while his right one went to a breast to tease a hardened nipple with his thumb. Bleach's own hands were grabbing the sheet beneath her in a vice-like grip, as to not dig her nails on Illumi's unmarred shoulders. He had hold himself from hurting her, the least she could do was return the courtesy.

Their gazes were glued to the other's eyes. Rainbows eyes were incapable of breaking such an intense stare, while the black ones didn't want to miss one second of looking at the clear colours staring back at him with lustful need.

Illumi's rhythm increased its intensity even more, making the bed's headboard slam loudly on the wall and, once again, the thief felt her body tighten and tremble as ecstasy took her one more time. Then, after Bleach was completely limp beneath him, Illumi allowed his own body to mimic the woman's shaking as his climax finally claimed him. With some uncoordinated twitches of his hips, Illumi dropped his face on the woman's neck.

Bleach didn't miss the low moan that came from the back of his throat then, but she chose not to tease him about actually expressing his enjoyment of something; she didn't have the energy to do so. Also, she was sure her own noises had been way more compromising.

**LEMON ENDS HERE.**

Not even two seconds later, a panting Bleach watched with glazed eyes as Illumi stood up from the bed and walked into the bathroom. The assassin spent a couple of moments there, most likely disposing of the used condom and cleaning himself, before returning to the thief thought he'd flop back onto bed to sleep, but he surprised her by just standing in front of it for a couple of minutes, staring at her with an unnerving look on his face.

Bleach couldn't help but frown. There she was, eyes glazed over, flushed and panting, not being able even to think about moving a muscle, while the assassin stood on his feet as if he had just come back from a light walk in the park.

"I hate your quick rebound." Bleach shot at him half-heartedly before closing her eyes.

A couple of seconds later, she heard the light switch being turned off and felt the mattress dip as Illumi sat down on it. Then, she felt the man's body scoot really close to her back as a blanket was pulled over them. Surprised, Bleach opened her eyes and rolled to the side, only to find Illumi staring back at her with his unfeeling orbs. The blush crept to her cheeks almost immediately, as did the scowl to her lips.

"Must you get so fucking close?"

"You didn't have a problem with that a couple of minutes ago."

Bleach rolled her eyes. "Tsk. Jackass."

She was about to give her back to Illumi when he suddenly moved to kiss her mouth. Bleach's eyes widened and, before his lips could reach their target, the thief lowered her head, making him kiss her forehead instead.

Illumi smirked in the kiss, expecting the blatant escape before she made it. Yes, that blatant refusal was proof that the woman didn't trust herself to care for him yet, but it also would make her think about it, because it showed that  _he_  cared about  _her_.

It was a pretty lie.

"Good night." The assassin whispered, putting a tang of disappointment in his voice, before rolling over to the other side.

Bleach stared at the man's bare back for long minutes with a shocked expression on her face.  _Just… what the fuck happened?!_

Even after minutes of silent contemplation, the thief didn't find an answer satisfactory enough to explain the assassin's sudden tender act. However, exhaustion beat incredulity and confusion and soon she was fast asleep.

Illumi remained awake beside her, smirking in victory.


	26. A New Puppet

_Even after minutes of silent contemplation, the thief didn't find an answer satisfactory enough to explain the assassin's sudden tender act. However, exhaustion beat incredulity and confusion and soon she was fast asleep._

_Illumi remained awake beside her, smirking in victory_

* * *

Since Bleach had slept in the train, her sleep didn't last her more than a couple of hours; just enough to recover the energy she had spent with Illumi earlier. When she woke up, the thief was very pleased at finding that she hadn't entwined her body with the assassin's. Again.

Believing the man besides her was fast asleep, Bleach got off the bed and put on some clothes – simple jeans and a long-sleeved black shirt - silently. Then, she spent a couple of minutes wondering what she would do now.

She had never cared much for TV so that was out of the question. Illumi had brought some books with him, but, while she had no qualms about going through his stuff, she didn't care much for reading either. She could sneak out of the room, but that would require her to bathe and she was feeling too lazy for it. So, for lack of anything better to do, the thief decided that it was as good time as any to get to know her new guardians a little better, so, with a small smile on her face, she sat cross-legged on the floor and summoned Trera's bracelets. With the weapons on her lap, Bleach closed her eyes and began to meditate, allowing her consciousness to sync with Trera's.

* * *

It was difficult for Illumi to keep his eyes closed. He knew the woman was awake and moving from her weight being lift off the bed but, for the life of him, he could not hear or sense her. There was no feeling more unsettling than that of knowing someone was moving close to you and not knowing where they were or what they were doing, the assassin decided as he fought the urge to open his eyes. He knew the woman was no killer –  _such a waste of talent_ \- and would not try to harm him, but the fact that she could do so was extremely unpleasant.

Only after almost an hour of stillness did Illumi allow himself to open his eyes. Not even a second later, they zeroed on the only possible threat in the room: Bleach. The assassin was surprised to find her sitting on the floor, chin on her chest as she meditated with her bracelets on her lap, completely alienate to her surroundings.

Illumi didn't even try to hide the impossibly wide and sadistic smile on his face. While the woman wasn't stupid, she wasn't as capable as him in reading people, nor would she believe that she was safe only because her contract prohibited Illumi from physically harming her. Her choice of not paying an ounce of attention to her surroundings didn't come from the certainty that he wouldn't harm her; it came from instinct. She was  _trusting_  him not to do anything to her in her moment of vulnerability.

Silently, the assassin raised himself from the bed and, not bothering to put on clothes, stalked towards the woman and sat down behind her; close but not quite touching. Automatically, his hands raised to her neck but, before the long fingers could encircle the defenceless column, his eyes pinpointed something that shouldn't be there. Behind short strands of white hair, a dark purple bruise adorned the back of woman's neck, an injury that should've been taken care of by her Guardian of Cure. Oddly, its shape resembled that of a scythe.

Next thing he knew, Illumi was brushing his thumb over the damaged area.

Bleach's eyes snapped open and her shoulders tensed at the contact but, before she could turn her head around, Illumi was back on the bed, seemingly asleep.

The thief let out a relieved sigh. "Just my imagination…"

* * *

Illumi opened his eyes again two hours later. Bleach was still sitting on that same spot on the floor, meditating; the only difference was that she had the staff on her lap now, instead of the bracelets. For minutes, Illumi regarded the woman, wondering if he should mention that purple bruise on her neck, but decided against it. It was oddly thrilling knowing something about the thief that even she didn't know; that piece of information, Illumi decided, belonged to him and him alone.

Not bothering to call her out of her trance, Illumi turned on the TV in the room just as a loud explosion occurred in the screen. It was more than enough to make Bleach jump five feet on the air and make the assassin mentally smirk at her reaction.

"Son of a bitch!" Bleach yelled in anger, fixing a glare on the assassin. "You fucking did that on purpose!"

"Naturally, not only did I know there would be an action movie playing on the television, I also knew the exact moment an explosion scene would occur so I could turn it on then, just to startle you." Illumi deadpanned. "It makes so much sense."

Bleach's glare intensified as blood rushed to her cheeks. "Fuck you!"

"Again? You're quiet a nymphomaniac, huh?"

Bleach became even redder.

"You know what I meant…" She grumbled, scowling at the floor. Then, as if nothing had happened, she raised curious eyes to the TV. "Never imagined you would do such mundane shit as watching TV. Shouldn't you be doing something more cultured, like reading your books? Not even I have the patience for this shit."

Illumi shrugged as he started some channel-surfing. The woman wasn't wrong; he really wasn't one to watch much television – at most, he watched the news to keep in touch with what was happening around the world. And, judging by the way she was frowning at the electronic device, it seemed she disliked it as much as he did.

"I thought you'd be into this kind of mind-numbing entertainment." Illumi commented matter-of-factly. "I also didn't expect you to know the word  _mundane_."

From her standing position, Bleach glared at him. "Why? Because I'm a fucking stupid and uncultured whore from Meteor City?"

Illumi blinked at the aggressiveness in the woman's voice before answering her question honestly. "Well, yes."

As expected, a vein on the woman's forehead started to pulse in anger at his response as she flipped him the bird. Illumi smirked in amusement.

"Such a vulgar gesture." He commented, returning his gaze to the television, pretending to be interested in the show that was currently on it. "It fits a candid woman such as yourself."

"Candid?"

"It means-"

"I know what it fucking means!" Bleach snapped before recovering her cool and crossing her arms over her chest. "I was just expecting a more offensive term coming from a shithead like you."

"I think we've come past name calling. Don't you agree?"

"No. I like calling you shithead. And asshole." The thief answered, smirking as she walked to the bed. "Though I don't think it's name calling when I'm just speaking the fucking truth.  _Don't you agree?"_

Illumi turned his head to the side to look at the woman who had flopped herself on the bed and was now staring at him with a mocking smirk on her lips.

"Well, in this case, you'll have no problems with me calling you pretty whore in front of Killu and his little "friend", will you?"

As intended, Bleach's rainbow eyes narrowed in irate slits and, before Illumi knew it, she was on top of him, straddling his waist as her hands encircled his throat.

"You fucking tell anyone about the things I told you and I'm going to fucking murder you in your sleep, understand?" The thief threatened as her grip on the assassin's neck tightened. "I've caught you unaware once; I can fucking do it again."

The assassin felt himself hardening at the threat. She might've killed before – he made her tell him about it, during their little quid-pro-quo – but she had only done it because she had had no other choice. The woman was no murderer, but her attempt at playing the assassin was nothing if not extremely arousing.

A second later, Illumi had rolled them over, pinning Bleach beneath him face down on the mattress and holding her wrists behind her back with his right hand. Not one to disappoint, the thief was already moving, trying to free herself from his hold.

"Tell me…" The man whispered in her ear huskily, making her body freeze altogether. "How would you do it?"

Bleach turned her head to the side, staring at the assassin's lustful eyes with her shocked ones. How pervert could the man be? Getting turned on like that by a death-threat was just beyond creepy!

"None of your fucking business." Bleach whispered half-heartedly, biting her lower lip when she felt his left hand moving up beneath her shirt to her left breast. The grip was harder than usual, but not nearly enough to hurt.

"Don't be like that." She heard him say by her ear. "I'll make you a deal. You tell me how you'd kill me and I'll tell you how I will do you.  _Right now_."

Bleach felt heat rush down her groin at the man's promising words. It was very tempting to give in to his demand, but her pride told her not to, told her that giving in to him like that was nothing more than begging him to fuck her. And Bleach begged to no one, especially for something like that.

And so, forcing a smirk on her lips, Bleach shook her head at the assassin's demands.

"No can do. A woman must have her secrets, you know?"

Illumi raised a challenging eyebrow at the response. "Well, why don't I coax these secrets from you then?"

Before the thief could reply, she had been flipped over once again and was now on her back, staring up at the naked man kneeling between her parted thighs as he undid the front of her jeans. Her eyes trailed down his torso appreciatively and she couldn't help but smirk dreamily.

The television was completely forgotten.

* * *

_Next day; York Shin City_

"Thank gods! Freedom!" Bleach exclaimed in happiness as she marched out of the city's airport.

"You just love to complain, don't you?"

Bleach's response was to throw a smirk over her shoulder at the assassin. Knowing he wouldn't get a verbal comeback, Illumi changed subject.

"Where are you going to now?" He saw Bleach tense in apprehension as soon as the words left his lips. He quickly tried to work his way around it; he needed a little more time with her to conclude his plan. "I rented a car here. If you want, I can give you a lift."

Bleach bit her lower lip and turned her contacts covered eyes away from Illumi's black ones. While a car ride would be better than spending her time with some strangers inside a slow-moving train, she didn't want Killua's brother knowing where he was. It was a useless preoccupation since he already did know – it didn't take much for the assassin to put two and two together after Millu had told him about Killu's sudden interest in that Greed Island game - but she did.

"It's alright. I can manage just fine." The thief dismissed at last, putting an easy-going smile on her face. "Thanks for the offer tho-"

"Would you like to drive?"

That gave Bleach pause. In her twenty years of life, she had never sat down on a car's driving seat and she would be lying through her teeth if she said that she hadn't dreamed about driving a car. Even Leorio could drive, for fuck's sake! Why couldn't she?!

"I don't know how to drive." Bleach admitted, blushing in embarrassment.

Illumi smirked inside. He knew he had her.

"I can teach you. It's really not hard."

Bleach regarded him with suspicious eyes that tried to hold back how giddy she truly was at having the chance to finally learn how to drive.

"I need to go to the Northern train station. There's a train there I have to take." Bleach lied. She could get to Battera's mansion by car, but she would feel really bad if she handed over Killua's location to his brother. "It's about two fucking hours from here. You sure about this shit?"

Illumi answered by throwing her the car key.

* * *

Bleach was trembling in excitement on her seat.

90… 100… 120… 140 km/hour and faster.

The smile on the woman's face was that of a child's during Christmas: excited, happy and, most of all, carefree. It was the first time Illumi had ever seen her smile like that and he couldn't help but feel smug about it; he doubted her little "friends" had ever made her give them such a smile before.

The assassin wasn't wrong, it was the first time in her life that Bleach felt like smiling like that.

"You know…" Illumi began, laying his hand on her thigh. "I've been told this car can reach 200 km/hour. Why don't we see if it is true?"

Bleach's smile widened and she stepped harder on the gas.

* * *

"That was so fucking amazing!" Bleach yelled as she jumped out of the car with her backpack in hand. She had parked the vehicle some 100 meters away from the lone train station, on an isolated area of the parking lot.

Illumi got off the passenger's seat, internally smirking in amusement at the woman. He didn't know she had such a infantile side to her.

"You drive well."

Despite the fact that Illumi watched his life flash before his eyes one or two (or seven) times, what he said was a not a complete lie; if the thief was a street-racer, her driving skills would be top-notch. He wondered how many speed tickets their little trip had earned him… Well, nothing that his Hunter License couldn't take care of.

The woman turned to the assassin with a bright smile on her face and, before she knew it, her backpack was on the ground and her arms were around his neck as she pressed her lips to his softly.

Illumi didn't allow her time to think about her actions; he sneaked his arms around her waist, pulling her boy flush to his as he deepened the kiss, prompting Bleach to close her eyes in pleasure. What was supposed to be nothing more than a spontaneous peck on the lips – a show of appreciation, really – soon became a full make-out session, with Bleach pressed to the car's side while Illumi curved his larger body over hers, seeking as much contact was possible.

The thief found she didn't really mind that change of plans. Illumi's kissing was just as good as his fucking; he did all of the right movements at the right times, altering between lips bruising French kisses and gentle pecks on her lips that left her wanting for more. And his hands were never without purpose; they were scratching softly at her scalp, caressing her cheeks, ghosting over her breasts, embracing her waist and grabbing at her ass, seemingly all at the same time.

As cliché as it was, Bleach actually felt her knees go weak from the assassin's kisses and she couldn't help but lose herself in the feeling.

Illumi noticed it as soon as it happened.

One moment, Bleach was by herself, inside some sort of pleasure limbo, on the next, she was in Illumi – or was he the one in her? – feeling a weird kind of pleasure that made her feel in another dimension entirely. It was terrifying.

" _It's alright."_ Illumi's voice whispered soothingly, inside her head.  _"You have nothing to worry about. You're with me."_

Bleach didn't find it in her to mock his words, or even scoff at them. Instead, she let herself drown in the reassurance in his voice, enjoying the pleasure and submission.

_Huh? Submission…?_

Suddenly, Bleach's eyes snapped open and she found something that surprised her; Illumi had his eyes closed as he kissed her. But, unlike her, he didn't seem to feel that mind-numbing pleasure she was feeling. Instead, he seemed to be focusing hard on something.  _Did I do something wrong?_

Eyebrows furrowed, she broke the kiss. Only then she noticed how hard she was breathing.

"Is everything… alright?" Bleach asked.

Illumi opened his eyes to stare at the woman looking up at him with self-doubt written all over her face and he couldn't help but smiled internally.  _How cute; she is afraid she isn't a good enough kisser._  Before answering her question, he raised his left hand to the back of her head, where his right hand laid, and the smile in his mind was nothing if not triumphant. He could feel his own Nen coming from a small spot there.

"Everything is perfect." Illumi purred, sliding both of his hands to Bleach's face. "Now be quiet and kiss me again."

Usually, Bleach would argue that she didn't follow his orders, but something in her, coming from the back of her head, made her comply to the assassin.

Without a word of complaint, she closed her eyes and raised her lips to his.

* * *

Illumi didn't walk Bleach to the station as he was planning to do before; as soon as their make-out session was done with, he got in the car and sped off. There was no need to play the caring man role anymore. She was his already.

The assassin smiled widely and pushed his foot deeper on the gas pedal.

He had left a very special little present inside that curious woman; a present he only gave to much selected people. Yes, he had put a needle in her brain, at the base of her skull, just above that peculiar bruise only he knew about. Bleach was now a victim of his Hypnotic Spell, just like Killu.

Illumi gave her a base order, but instead of telling her to survive no matter what - like he had done with his little brother – he told her to help him take care of Killu.

His little brother was drifting further and further apart from him, and Illumi knew that, someday, he might come to face his Killu on the opposite side of the battlefield. And, undoubtedly, the woman would stand by his little brother's side then.

Well, she would try to.

The assassin knew that he could not to control her as much as he did Killu, thanks to her innate ability to fight off the Nen off her body.  _A power of her little Guardian of Cure, no doubts._ However, even a small amount of control over her could prove to be useful one day, when he finally went to retrieve Killu.

No matter what resistance she had against his Nen, Illumi was sure that his skill far surpassed hers. He could and  _would_  have her on his side when the time came.

On the meanwhile, he'd enjoy receiving regular messages about his little Killu's state.  _What better way to help me take care of my brother than to tell me every little thing he does? Knowing the path he'll take, I can prepare myself to bring him back to me._

Knowing what his new puppet was doing wouldn't be so bad either. Who knows? If she played her cards well and kept herself interesting, he might even be willing to give her the time of the day once again.

* * *

Before going in the train to Battera's mansion, Bleach decided to do a bit of shopping. She didn't think twice before replacing her vibrating red coat for a discreet black hoodie and her jeans for a comfortable pair of dark green linen shorts. She also went to an electronics store.

The thief remembered the view from the Palace's rooftop. It was beautiful and she had longed to take a picture, but, unfortunately, her Beetle 07 phone didn't have a camera in it.

_**Passengers of the train BA-40873, please report to platform A. The boarding process is about to begin.** _

Without further ado, Bleach discreetly pocketed what seemed to be the latest model of a cell phone that had a large advertising of its camera's quality and its resistance to external hazards and walked out of the store.

With a smirk on her face, she marched to the platform A.


	27. Greed Island: Before Clearing The Game

_Greed Island. Antokiba City._

"Now that I have explained to you the basics of the game, I would like to know: are you interested in joining us?"

Bleach regarded the man in front of her with a sceptical look on her face; he was tall, lanky, blonde and had a very serious glint on his glasses-covered eyes. As soon as she had arrived at Antokiba, the first city on the game, that man approached her, saying he knew she was a "noob" –  _what the fuck is that anyway?_ – and offering to explain to her how the game worked in exchange of she considering to join him and his friends in their quest to clear it. Naturally, she didn't trust him at all but she was not about to pass up free information of any kind.

"I'll pass. Thanks for the offer though." The thief answered, smirking. If she knew Gon well enough, he'd be trying to enjoy the game on his own. "By the way, you haven't happened to meet two kids here, have you? One has sparkling brown eyes and the other white hair."

"Actually, I did see them." The man answered. "They arrived here about a week ago."

"You don't know where they are, right?"

"No."

"Alright." Bleach let out with a shrug. "Well, I gotta go then. Good luck… eh…"

"Genthru."

* * *

Bleach had no idea what Gon and Killua were up to, but she had a nice hunch as to where to start: Masadora, the City of Magic. The boys would have to fill up their binders with Spell Cards if they wanted to clear the game and, according to the NPCs, that was the place to get them.

So, thanks to the directions she received from Antokiba's NPCs, Bleach started to march North.

* * *

_On the rocky terrains, at North of Antokiba._

It was impossible to miss it, that combination of an angry bloodlust and a couple of calm survival instincts that was burning strong not too far away from where Bleach stood. Automatically, the thief activated Zetsu and hid herself behind a rock. Then, using Gyo, she scanned her surroundings to make sure that she was indeed alone. Only after she was sure no one was watching her did she start to make her way to the place where, she was sure, a hard battle was happening.

She kept to the shadows, hiding her body and the satisfied smirk on her lips from prying eyes. Getting in a fight like that was just  _so Gon and Killua._

* * *

Bleach was surprised at finding the boys inside a hole that seemed to be serving as an improvised Thunderdome, fighting a man with reddish hair and wielding scissors as his weapons. The most surprising about the situation was the blonde little girl watching them with analytical eyes, as if she was scoring their fight.

The thief spent a long time watching from the shadows, trying to figure out the situation. Gon and Killua seemed to have everything under control and seemed to be actually enjoying the fight, eager to get stronger. She didn't want to interrupt it out of the blue and cut down their progress so she stayed put. And what was the part of that little girl in the fight? She seemed to be awfully strong... Was she helping the scissors man? Or could she be forcing them to fight for her own amusement?

"That's enough."

Bleach snapped her attention back to the arena, watching the scissors man drop to his knees in front of Gon.

"There's no way I can defeat you. Kill me."

Bleach mentally scoffed. The day Gon would kill someone was the day his hair would be as long and silky as Rapunzel's.

"Why?" The boy asked. "We won't kill you. You've helped us make a lot of progress. Thank you, Binolt-san!"

An understanding smirk stretched on Bleach's lips.  _Training. The boys were using that fucking creep to train._

* * *

The thief watched the trio of children bid goodbye to the Scissors Man from the shadow, not wanting to have any part on the farewell, before revealing herself.

By blowing on the boys' necks.

"Boo."

Bleach laughed as Gon and Killua jumped ten meters in the air in fright before turning their gazes to her. Gon had a ten-thousand watts smile on his face, while Killua had a scowl full of an annoyance that didn't quite reach his eyes. Dropping her chuckles, the thief turned her gaze to the blonde girl, noticing that, not only had she managed to keep perfect control of her body, but she had also activated Ren and Gyo and was staring at her with an analytical gaze, ready to battle.  _Who the fuck is she?_

"Bleach!" Gon exclaimed excitedly, running to hold the woman's hands. "You found us! How was it? Did you get everything you needed?"

"Yep! Everything is good and now I'm as free as a bird to help you two with this game." Bleach answered, smiling down at the boy before raising a teasing smirk to Killua. "I'm sure you're going to need it."

The former assassin scoffed. "As if! We were doing great by ourselves."

"So great you had to enlist the help of a little girl?" Bleach teased before turning her contact covered eyes to said "little girl". "No offense."

The blonde girl returned Bleach's smirk with one of her own, only wider and far more cunning. It was enough to make the white-haired woman gulp. Then, the blonde entwined her fingers in front of her chest, as if she was day-dreaming about something.

_She's cool and apparently harmless, blending in the shadows as if hiding is her only talent. But, with the right polishing, she can acquire many forms and give out a tranquil glow that, while unassuming, will be enough to warn those smart enough of the power she hides. Just like a black spinel!_

"I'm going to wipe you into shape, girl." The girl spoke with a maniacal glint in her pink eyes. "Just like those two, you are now my student!"

Confused, Bleach gave Gon and Killua a quizzical look.

"She's Wing's Master and offered to train us to get better at Nen." Killua explained with a shrug of his shoulders. "Also, she's not a little girl. She's a mean, old h-"

Bleach's eyes doubled their size when, suddenly, Killua was sent flying high up in the air thanks to a powerful punch from that lit- eh… Nen Master.

"My name is Biscuit Krueger." The blonde spoke, directing a cocky smile to Bleach. "But I don't like formalities, so you will call me Biske!"

"O-Okay…" The thief breathed out, watching as Killua finally fell back to the hard ground with a loud thump. "I'm Bleach."

"Good." Biske spoke with a nod of her head.

Then, she raised her index finger in the air and, automatically, Gon and Killua yelled "Number 9!". Bleach just pouted in confusion.

"Ne, whenever Biske raises her finger you have to use Gyo, Bleach!" Gon explained, smiling up at her.

With a nod, the thief quickly activated her Gyo and, sure enough, there was a Nen number 9 atop Biske's index finger.

"Too slow!" The blonde yelled out. "Drop down and give me 3000 push ups! The three of you!"

Bleach's eyes widened but, before she could issue a complaint, Gon and Killua were on the ground, whining but giving Biske the push-ups she demanded. With an unhappy scowl on her face, the white-haired woman gave in to peer pressure and dropped to the ground as well, all the while cursing the blonde Nen master to hell and back.

* * *

The next days were hell to Bleach. Not only did she had to endure Biske's arduous physical training on every waking hour, but she also could barely sleep thanks to her rock tortur- I mean, attention training. For all her stealth, Bleach's attention to her surroundings were just a bit above average so she, alongside Gon, suffered far too much with heavy rocks falling atop their heads while they tried to sleep.

As if that was not enough for her, Bleach felt an unusual need to contact Illumi but couldn't, thanks to her cell phone having no signal in Greed Island. That need really confused the woman because it was not because she missed and wanted to meet him – though she didn't deny that she could use some mind-blowing sex for stress-relief - but because she was feeling an weird urge to tell him that Killua was doing great; that he was safe and becoming stronger by the day.

 _I'm going fucking crazy._  Bleach scolded herself as she dug her way to Masadora with Gon and Killua.  _Killua… He would murder me if he had any idea about the shit going through my head._

* * *

First was Shu. Second was Ko. Third was Ken. Fourth was Ryu.

During the next weeks, Biske trained Gon, Killua and Bleach until they had mastered these new Nen principles before moving up to more specialized techniques. Gon intended to create a power based on the Jan-Ken-Po game, Killua had his electricity to harness, and Bleach had her guardians to meditate and train with. All of them knew where to begin to develop their special powers.

Only Killua had to leave Greed Island for a couple of days to take the Hunter Exam. Meanwhile, Biske continued to train Gon and Bleach on the four principles mentioned before.

Clearing the game was the furthest thing from everyone's minds.

That is, until a man called Abegane appeared in front of the remaining trio, explaining that Genthru and two of his friends were the Bombers, some guys that were killing other players to steal their cards and finish their game.

* * *

"At least promise me you won't let him finish this game." Abegane requested.

Gon and Bleach nodded their heads.

"Understood." Biske said.

* * *

After their talk with Abegane, the trio - Gon, Bleach and Biske - went straight to Masadora to stock up Spell Cards, just in case.

Then, the special training started.

Gon made huge progress with his special technique, but Bleach was having some trouble improving hers.

* * *

"You're wasting your Aura!" Biske scolded, looking down at Bleach, who was on her hands and knees, panting in exhaustion. "You're burning too much of your Aura when controlling your weapons. They have Aura of their own, Bleach! You have to use a little of your Nen to activate it, but that's it! Focus yourself on making just a small amount of your Aura flow through your weapons and, instead of allowing it to go to waste, recycle it. Make it go round and round through your weapons, keeping their Nen activated for as long as possible before wasting more of yours!"

Bleach's eyes shone in understanding. So that was why she got tired so fast when using her weapons; she was wasting her energy when she could be reutilizing it!

With a renewed spark on her eyes, Bleach stood up from the ground and summoned Trera's bracelets.

"Stop!" Biske yelled, making Bleach fall on the ground in fright.

"W-What?"

"Recover your Aura first. We'll get back to training in a couple of hours."

"It's alright, I still ha-"

The words caught in Bleach's throat when Biske smiled in a way that remembered her all too much of Hisoka. The thief felt cold sweat form on her back as she forced a nervous smile on her lips.

"Rest it is."

* * *

_Two hours later._

Once Biske had deemed Bleach's Aura reserve good enough, the thief summoned Trera's bracelets.

Automatically, hard rocks and sturdy minerals left the ground beneath her to envelop her arms, but, instead of packing punches at the air and tress around her, Bleach closed her eyes and stood still, focusing solely on the Aura flowing through her body and bracelets. It didn't take her long to understand how to save her energy.  _It's just like Ryu._

Biske smiled at the young woman in front of her before turning her eyes to Gon, who was practicing his own special technique. Both were starting to shine already, like the precious gemstones they were.

_Not enough! I'll make they shine so bright they'll blind everyone around them!_

* * *

As soon as Killua returned, now as a professional Hunter, the trio showed him their new cards, asking what they should do with them.

"If you have all these cards, you should use them…" The former assassin said raising a card to Gon. "Start by this one: you can choose a player you encountered before and talk to them."

"Who should we talk to?" Gon asked.

"We won't know until we see who is available." Killua answered.

Gon nodded. "Contact, on!"

Since Killua was the one holding Gon's Binder, he had the honours of searching for their "victim".

"Oh… there are a lot of names." Suddenly, the white-haired boy's eyes widened. "Oi, Gon. When did you run into him?"

Gon and Bleach exchanged a look before rushing to Killua's side. Both widened their eyes at seeing the name Kuroro Lucifer on the boy's list.

After a long discussion about Kuroro and Nen purging, the four Nen-users decided it would be best to inform Kurapika about what they had found. Bleach was quick to volunteer herself to go out of the game and call the blonde, who already knew about the possibility of his Nen being removed from the Head of the Spider and was surprisingly calm about it.

* * *

_Battera's mansion._

" _ **Thanks for taking the time to inform me. You have my gratitude**_ _."_  Were Kurapika's last words before ending the call.

Inside the consoles room, in Battera's basement, Bleach's eyebrow was twitching at receiving such a cool dismissal. The woman was scowling at her phone as she searched her contacts list for a specific name – or, in this case, nickname.

_Pincushion._

The woman's thumb ghosted over the CALL button, trembling, as if she was fighting with herself about calling the man or not.

Finally, she settled for a text message.

_Killua is doing great. He is safe and getting strong as fuck, you know? He is very good with electricity. Scarily so, and I bet it's all due to your sick pain-endurance training. You're such an asshole._

Deepening her scowl, Bleach hit the SEND button and turned around to return to the game. Before she could do so though, her cell phone vibrated in her hoodie's pocket. To her surprise, Illumi had already answered her.

_**That's good to know. Keep me posted about my little brother, alright?** _

_**And I miss you too.** _

Bleach felt a vein pulse on her forehead at the last line.

_Fuck you._

_**Give me a time and place. If I'm available then, I might just let you.** _

_That's not what I meant and you fucking know it!_

_**What did you mean then?** _

Instead of writing a reply, Bleach decided to make good use of her new phone's camera and took a picture of her right hand flipping the bird to send it for the obnoxious assassin.

_**Such a pretty woman shouldn't make such vulgar gestures. What would Killu and your little "friend" think if they saw you doing that?** _

_They're not here, shithead. Now leave me alone. I have better things to do._

_**Alright. Until next time.** _

_Who the fuck said there's going to be a next time?_

_**I'll be counting the seconds as well, sweetheart.** _

_Don't you fucking call me sweetheart, you son of a bitch!_

_**XOXO** _

_I hate you so much._

_**Love you too.** _

_Die and burn in hell._

_**After you.** _

_Not if I have anything to do with it._

_**I'm shaking in my boots.** _

_You fucking should._

_**Hmm… Are you going to punish me?** _

_Man, I can hear the innuendo in your words from here. It's so fucking creepy._

_**I aim to please.** _

_If only you did._

_**You're hurting my feelings, lovely.** _

_You don't have feelings. And don't you fucking call me lovely either!_

_**How would you like me to call you?** _

_Bleach. That's my name, after all._

…  _ **I think I'm doing a favour by giving you nicknames.**_

_Fuck you. I'm leaving this shitty conversation._

* * *

Illumi smiled in amusement as Bleach's status went from ONLINE to OFFLINE in his phone's screen. Messing with the woman was fun even from afar.

* * *

_Greed Island._

"Kurapika is cool about everything." Bleach spoke as she approached the trio. "His Nen seal is still up and running so I think it is safe to assume the man on Gon's list isn't Kuroro."

"Well, it seems that you three got worried over nothing." Biske said with a bright smile. "Now it's time to focus on yourselves."

Gon was quick to agree enthusiastically. "Osu!"

"But we're not going to train."

Gon, Bleach and Killua's eyes widened at hearing that.

"It's time for us to start clearing this game!"

* * *

For the next days, the four of them concentrated their efforts in collecting the Restrict Slots cards, completing quests and exchanging cards with other players. They only halted their progress when a player called Kazsule called them to a meeting to talk about the Bombers, Genthru and his friends, and their progress on the game.

On that meeting, the players exchanged information and decided to join their efforts to monopolize the card #2, Path of Shore, which Genthru still didn't possess, so they could stop him and his friends from clearing the game.

With that in mind, they went to Soufrabi, where they could obtain the card, and met Razor and his 14 Devils. In order to get the card, it was clear they had to have a grpup of at least 15 people to defeat Razor and his Devils in 8 of 15 sports, however, instead of trying to win, the group allowed themselves to lose and just collect information.

Once it was done, Gon, Killua, Bleach, Biske and Goreinu, one of the players that had appeared on the meeting, stayed on Soufrabi, thinking a way to get more players to join them in their quest for the Path to Shore card.

After much discussion, they decided to check out just who the hell was that Kuroro Lucifer player and if he would be interested in helping in their quest.

"Accompany: on! Kuroro Lucifer!"

* * *

To say that the whole group was surprised at finding that the "Kuroro" was none other than Hisoka would be very accurate. To say that they all were very embarrassed about finding the clown naked inside a lake, with a raging hard-on at seeing how stronger his unripe fruits had become, would not.

Gon and Killua were indeed very embarrassed. Goreinu, on the other hand, was feeling simply awkward at meeting such a perverted man. Biske didn't really mind just sitting back and enjoying the view, but she acted all girly and embarrassed because that was the least strange way for her to behave in front of the two young boys. And Bleach…

SNAP.

… she took her cell phone out of her pocket and took a picture.

SNAP. SNAP. SNAP.

Many actually.

All eyes turned to the bored-looking thief with shock and incredulity in them. Noticing that, Bleach smiled innocently at them and pocketed her phone.

"What? It's just a souvenir, guys."

Bleach's innocent smile turned into an amused smirk when she saw Biske mouthing a silent "Send me those later" to her. It was nice not being the only adult woman in the group anymore.


	28. Greed Island: The Dodgeball Game

After getting Hisoka to join their party and following the clown on a brief but useless stay in Aiai, the City of Love, the party of 6 - Gon, Killua, Bleach, Biske, Goreinu and Hisoka - contacted Tsezugera and convinced him and his 3 companions to join them in their quest to get the Path to Shore card. After that, it was a matter of finding 5 stand-in players – people who wanted to leave the game but didn't have the means to do so – to occupy the remaining 5 spots necessary to activate the quest in Soufrabi.

* * *

"Taking into account Genthru's situation, we can't afford to lose." Killua commented as they stood in front of Razor's gymnasium.

"We have to win." Gon agreed.

"Don't worry guys." Bleach reassured.

"We'll win." Biske said confidently.

* * *

Minutes later found Gon's party inside the Gym, playing against Razor and his fourteen demons. The Hunters were doing great; so far, they had 3 wins out of 3 games.

However, things took a turn to the worse when one of the pirates – the fat one, called Bobobo – mouthed off and, consequently, was punished by Razor.

With death.

Everyone's eyes widened in shock when they saw Razor use his Nen to throw a ball of Aura on Bobobo's head, annihilating it.

Then, as if he did nothing out of ordinary – like killing a man – Razor announced he'd be the next one to face the party, saying that they would play a game of dodgeball. Seconds later, the muscular man used his Nen to summon 7 humanoid creatures to be his team.

Naturally, after seeing Razor murder one of his companions at cold-blood, the stand-in players all fled at the prospect of having to the large man, leaving Gon's party one member short for the game. Lucky for them, Goreinu was capable of summoning a white gorilla-like Nen creature to fill the missing spot.

So, after a talk that surprised most of the party's members, revealing that, not only was Bobobo a convict, but the game was actually taking place somewhere on the real world, the dodgeball game began.

* * *

Goreinu and Tsezugera were out in the first minutes of the game, just like two of Razor's Nen creatures. Goreinu was able to swap places with his gorilla creature, managing to avoid any kind of damage, though he knew he had been very close to losing his life to Razor. Tsezugera wasn't so lucky and got hit by the ball's full-strength and, even though he had used Ken to protect himself, Tsezugera was injured so badly he had to leave the game.

* * *

Once Gon's party got a hold of the ball, Hisoka used his Bungee Gum ability to knock out one of Razor's Nen creatures, however, when he was about to use the same tactic to hit the second one, two of his creatures merged, forming a large one that was able to hold the ball, despite Hisoka's power.

"Now! It's my turn to attack again." Razor announced as all of the remaining players – Gon, Killua, Bleach, Biske and Hisoka – took a few steps back and activated Ken. "Oh! So you know how to use Ken. That means you won't die. Assuming that you aren't hit on the wrong spot, that is. Here I come… Gon!"

Gon's eyes shone in determination while Bleach's narrowed in annoyance and self-restraint. Annoyance because, despite knowing Gon was the one in grave danger, something in the back of her mind made her focus on Killua's safety, and self-restraint because she couldn't use Runvle's protective ability to protect Gon if needed to be. The boy would never forgive her if she let him "cheat" his challenges.

And so, honestly not knowing what to do, Bleach just stood there, watching Razor throw the ball with enough power to destroy a yacht towards Gon's head. Her narrowed eyes immediately widened at seeing that, instead of dodging, the boy took the blow, concentrating all of his Aura on his hands with Ko and using them as a shield to his forehead.

"Gon!"

Killua, Bleach and Biske quickly ran to Gon's side, unsurprisingly finding him all excited about continuing the game.

"I'm using Back." Gon decided and, from his tone, it was clear that nothing would change his mind.

"Fine…" Biske conceded. "However, don't use it until we're down to three players inside!"

* * *

Once the Gon was patched up and back into the game, Goreinu, who was in the dead zone with Gon, decided it was time to get his revenge on Razor for almost killing him.

In a matter of seconds, the man's white Nen gorilla morphed into a black one and teleported itself into Razor's side of the court. A second later, Goreinu was throwing the ball at his black gorilla, which, surprisingly, swapped places with Razor, allowing Goreinu to hit the large man. Despite Razor being able to use Back, Gon's team felt a spark of relief at seeing the Game Master being hit.

However, that spark died when Razor's large Nen creature with the number 13 threw the small 2 to recover the ball mid-air before it could hit the ground or the hands of anyone in Gon'steam. The creature quickly tossed the ball to the large man, saving him from having to use his Back.

Then, showing an extremely childish side, Razor threw the ball at Goreinu's face, prompting him to lose consciousness and be completely removed of the game.

And so, inside the court remained Killua, Bleach, Biske and Hisoka while on the dead zone was just Gon.

* * *

After a curved ball from Razor that got Hisoka's right hand useless and Biske out of the game, Gon used Back to return to the game and asked Killua to hold the ball for him.

The boy showed how good his training did him by using Ko to punch the ball with amazing strength. First, he took out number 13, then, thanks to Hisoka's Bungee Gum recovering the ball for the team, the boy removed Razor from the game, forcing the large man to finally use his Back.

Despite forcing Razor to use Back, Gon's team wasn't in the best shape. Hisoka's right hand was deeply injured, Gon had wasted plenty of Aura in his attacks, Bleach's physical power was simply ridiculous in comparison to Razor's and Killua's hands were even worse than Hisoka, due to holding the ball for Gon to punch.

Tsezugera noticed this and asked for a time-out.

* * *

"Gon, if you come outside I can hold the ball for you." Tsezugera began. "Killua's hands must be completely ravaged by now. I doubt he is in any condition to hold the ball for you. I know how to apply a lightning-fast coat of Aura to protect my hands so I'll hold the ball and you can take Razor out from here. It's our only way to win."

Bleach's eyes widened in concern at hearing that. She honestly hadn't noticed how much of a toll holding the ball for Gon could take on Killua.

Killua was quick to shoot the idea down. "We can't do that."

"W-Why not?" The Jackpot Hunter demanded. "What's the problem?"

"That would be a cop-out." Killua explained.

Bleach felt an eyebrow twitch at the explanation. "Killua, I know you and Gon want to win this the "right way", but you two don't need to do it alone. You should see what the rest of your team can do to help you."

Tsezugera was quick to agree. "Exact- Huh!"

Just then, the Jackpot Hunter fell to his knees, coughing violently.

"Take it easy, old man. You took a pretty big hit." Killua said before turning his eyes to Bleach. "As you can see, his condition is in worse than mine. I'm doing fine; I'm not even hurting as much as you think."

Bleach and Tsezugera narrowed their eyes. "Then show us your hands."

The former assassin smiled dismissively. "I'm alri-"

However, before he could finish his sentence, Biske pulled on his elbow, making him take one of his hands out of his short's pocket. Bleach's eyes doubled at seeing the appendage's gruesome purple colour before narrowing in anger.

"The fuck are you thinking, Killua?! Taking so much damage without telling us?!" The thief demanded, grabbing on the boy's shoulder to turn him around so she could glare into his eyes. "Why didn't you tell us you were in pain, dumbass?! Why didn't you ask for help?!"

Killua's eyes narrowed as he returned Bleach's glare. "What I do is none of your business!" Then, he turned to Gon almost desperate. "I can do this! I can take one more ball! Gon, I can do this!"

"Impossible!" Tsezugera said. "Gon, help me convince him not to do this."

Gon's next words were a surprise to everyone.

"I already knew, that Killua's hands were messed up. Tsezugera-san, I'm sorry but I won't move outside. Bleach, you'll have to forgive us, but I need Killua to hold the ball for me. While you sparred with Biske, we've both been sparing together since the begining of the training. He's the only one who can do it! If it were you or Biske or Hisoka holding the ball, I probably wouldn't be able to use my full-strength. The only reason I can focus wholly on hitting the ball is because I know Killua is the one holding it for me."

Bleach glared into Gon's big, bright eyes for some moments before turning to Killua's surprised and happy sapphire eyes. Then, she scoffed.

"And who said I didn't want him to hold the ball for you, Gon?"

That earned the woman surprised looks from Gon, Killua and Tsezugera. Looks that she ignored as she gently pulled Killua's hands in-between her own.

"I know it has to be Killua. I'm not angry because you're making a sacrifice, brat. I'm mad because you took a risk without asking to see if there was anything we could do to help." Just then, a soft and warm indigo light surrounded Bleach's hand. "You two are not the only ones who have been training and developing new abilities, you know?"

A couple of minutes later, Bleach let go of Killua's hands and fell to her knees, sweating and breathing hard. Gon dropped down beside her, asking if she was alright, while Killua marvelled at his now completely healed hands.

"I'm learning how not to waste too much Aura when using my powers, but healing others still takes a lot from me, since I have to use my own Aura as a medium for it to work." Bleach explained as she took some deep breaths and raised herself to her feet. Then, she gave the boys a cocky smirk. "Nothing I can't handle though. Now, let's kick that Razor's ass."

The trio exchanged confident smiles and returned to the court.

* * *

Throwing the same kind of curve-ball Razor had done to remove her of the game, Biske removed the number 2 of the court, leaving Gon, Killua, Bleach and Hisoka to deal with Razor.

The only problem was that the Game Master had the ball.

* * *

"We need to figure out a way to recover the ball, first." Killua said glaring at Razor, who was patiently waiting for them to decide what they'd do.

"Of course." Gon said before turning to Bleach. "Ne, Bleach, could you tell me what other powers did you discover during the training?"

Bleach blinked before nodding.

Soon, the four of them were forming a small circle as Gon exlpained his plan as to how they could recover the ball.

* * *

Hisoka was oddly thrilled by the idea, something that made a scowl form on Bleach's lips. As the two boys were talking over the details of the plan, she pulled the front of the man's shirt roughly, making him lower his face close to hers.

"You better behave yourself, perverted clown. If I see you're enjoying yourself too much with touching those two, I'll throw this game into the air and kick your ass, got it?"

"Eh~? And who said I was excited about those two?" Hisoka asked in a fake innocent tone. "I'll have you close to me as well, Soap. Maybe I'm excited about that~!"

"Contrary to popular belief, I'm not an idiot." The thief spat as her glare hardened and she harshly pushed the magician away from her. "Just remember I have my eyes on you, you creep."

"You guys ready?" Gon asked, turning to the older Nen-users with an excited smile on his face.

Hisoka's eyes shone in anticipation.

Bleach scowled in disgust.

* * *

Gon, Killua, Bleach and Hisoka watched Razor reabsorb the Aura from his Nen creatures and throw the ball up in the air with determined eyes. The Game Master was going to perform a deadly volleyball strike.

Without wasting a second, the four assumed their positions in a line.

Gon was first. With his Enhancer Nen, he was the best choice to receive the ball.

Hisoka was third and had his hands over Gon's. His Transmuter Nen ability Bungee Gum allowed him to smother the strength behind Razor's ball, keeping it between Gon's hands.

Killua was second. The former assassin's excellent control over Ken made him the ideal spring between Gon and Hisoka.

Bleach was last in line, with her back glued to Hisoka's. Thanks to her Specialization Nen, the woman could use the power of Trera's bracelets to involve her body with heavy minerals from the ground, turning herself into a golem. Her heavy weight made her the perfect wall to keep them from being pushed out of the court by the sheer power of Razor's ball.

* * *

It was expected but at the same time relieving when the ball stopped in Gon's hands with all four of them inside the court.

"Gon-" Bleach began with a mocking smirk in Razor's direction, as she allowed the rocks to drop from her body. "-you know what to do."

A second later, her body fell to the floor unconscious.

* * *

The thief woke up seconds later, sitting on the outside of the court and just in time to see Gon power up his next attack. Her contacts covered eyes were blurry as she observed the amazing power accumulating in the boy's hands.

_Ging, your son is… amazing._

Then she passed out again.

* * *

When Bleach woke up next, she was on the outside, being carried piggyback by none other than Hisoka, as they followed the female NPC - the one who had activated the quest for them - to a large lighthouse. It was night and the wind was blowing on her face as she tried to release herself from the clown, but her body was still suffering from exhaustion, so she soon gave up.  _How much fucking Aura did I waste healing Killua?_

"Why am I being carried by  _you_?" Bleach demanded in an annoyed whisper, glaring at the side of Hisoka's face.

"You hurt my feelings, Soap." Hisoka answered in a mock hurt voice before giving her an amused smile. "And here I thinking you would enjoy getting so close to my body. After all, you sure appreciated it when we met on the lake."

Bleach couldn't help but smirk. "Just because I liked looking at your body doesn't mean I want to touch it. Ever heard of voyeurism?"

"Hmm… you never struck me as a passive observer. I think you're a woman who likes to take action. But I may be wrong... I'll make sure to ask your handsome, dark-haired lover when I see him again~."

Bleach's eyes widened, her face paled and her heart start to beat faster. Automatically, her gaze shifted to Killua, who was walking a few metres in front of her and Hisoka, completely oblivious to their whispered conversation. _No way. Illumi was bound by hsi contract to keep what happened between us a secret._

"I-I don't know what the fuck you're talking about." The thief stated, trying desperately to hide the tremor in her voice.

"Why, of course you do~! I'm talking about that very ripe Floor Master you faced off during your time in Heaven's Arena." Hisoka answered, giving her a very malicious smirk.

Bleach let out an audible sigh of relief. Relief that died as soon as the magician spoke again.

"Why? Who did you think I was talking about?"

Bleach's lie was fast and dry. "No one."

Of course, it wasn't nearly enough to fool the clown.

"Oh, tell me~. I promise to keep your secret." Hisoka urged, digging his long nails on the back of her legs painfully. "Or maybe, you'd like to fight me for the right to keep it secret? You're still unripe, but I can make an exception for you, if there's juicy gossip involved."

Bleach raised an eyebrow at the clown, ignoring the pain in her legs. "Are you really that short of strong Nen-users? Challenging  _me_  for a fight…"

"It has been hard for me to find ripe fruits lately…" The clown admitted with an over-dramatic sigh. "I've been so bored that even someone like you is game."

Bleach rolled her eyes half-heartedly; too relieved by distracting Hisoka from his original question to pay attention to the fact that she had just been called weak.

"Now, about your little sec-"

"Hey, Hisoka!" Goreinu's good-naturedly voice interrupted. "It's my turn to carry Bleach now. You can rest."

Hisoka pouted, and Bleach smiled.  _Perfect timing, Goreinu!_

"Alright." The clown said in a dismissive voice.

Then he opened his arms, letting the woman fall with her butt on the ground unceremoniously. Bleach glared at the redhead's back and cursed him under her breath, but her relief at the interruption of what would be the restart of Hisoka's interrogation was far too large for her to do anything more.

* * *

After they had retrieved the Path to Shore card, Hisoka left the party, saying he wasn't interested in collecting cards for the game. Then, Gon's party and Tsezugera's left the lighthouse.

* * *

"You sure you can walk, Bleach?" Goreinu asked in concern.

"Yeah, I'm not 100% yet but I'm good enough to walk." Bleach said with a smirk as the man slowly put her on the ground. "Thanks for carrying me around though."

"It was no problem."

Suddenly, Tsezugera's Binder made a DING sound, signalizing that someone had used Contact to talk to him. Unsurprisingly, it was Genthru.

" _I promise to spare your lives, but in return you must hand over your Path to Shore card."_

"Don't be ridiculous." Tsezugera said.

" _Hahaha… Well, I'm a little curious to see if you can beat us. Still, if you're willing to deal with us, come alone to Masadora's entrance in one hour. If you don't, we'll take the card by force. There is nowhere for you to run; we have many copies of Accompany."_

Everyone was silently wondering the same thing: how did Genthru find out they had obtained the card so fast? The answer came soon, but it didn't please anyone.

" _Asta, Amana, Manheim, Nick Cue, Souheil, Kazsule… They were all members of your first party of 15 but now… Check you Binders, they are no longer with us."_

Indeed, all of those names were shadowed. Genthru had killed those players.

Naturally, Gon who exploded in anger.

"Genthru! I`ll take you on!"

* * *

It was decided that Tsezugera's party would distract Genthru and his friends while Gon, Killua and Bleach recovered and trained to defeat them. Their most optimistic time-limit was of three weeks.

Bleach scowled. Not nearly enough for Killua's hands to heal on their own.

* * *

"Come on, Killua." Bleach said as soon as Tsezugera's party left, stretching her hands to the boy. "Give them me."

The boy raised a sardonic eyebrow. "Give you what?"

"Your damn eyeballs." Bleach answered with a roll of her eyes. "What do you think? Give me your hands so I can heal them."

The former assassin scoffed. "Don't be stupid."

"What did you say?!"

"I'm not letting you use that healing power of yours on me again." Killua explained. "It consumed far too much of your Aura. So much that your body can't even recover itself adequately. You spent almost an hour sleeping and since you woke up you still haven't used your Nen. But your Aura is still very low. You're not wasting it on me."

"You're the one being stupid, you brat!" Bleach shot back, hands on her hips. "We need to train to fight Genthru! How do you intend to do that with your hands like that?"

The boy shrugged. "I'll find a way."

"Killu-"

"You should listen to him, Bleach." Biske put in, getting both white-haired younglings to turn their heads to her. "You almost completely exhausted your Aura reserves using that healing power followed by the earth one."

"So did Gon with his punches!"

"You're wrong. After we learn how to keep our Aura from leaking from our bodies consciously, they learn how to do it by themselves, subconsciously. Ren becomes our basal state and, to keep this basal state, we have a fixed reserve of Aura that is not available for usage. Gon exhausted all Aura he had to spend, but not all the Aura from his body. His reserve remained intact." Biske began explaining. "From what I saw, your powers don't make that distinction; they consume it all if you let them. And that is extremely dangerous. Aura is like a second blood flow for us; if we run completely out of it, we die."

The thief's eyes widened. "Are you telling me that-"

"You almost died, Bleach. And, most likely, this hasn't been the first time. It is a good thing your body still isn't strong enough to endure so much stress; if you hadn't fainted and continued the game instead, you'd be gone by now." Biske said seriously. "And that's why I'll forbid you from healing other people."

"WHAT?! Are you telling me to just ignore what is, most likely, one of the most useful abilities ever?"

"Of course not." Biske dismissed. "Once you leave this game and have the time, I strongly suggest you to practice it until you're able to use it without wasting so much Nen, just like you've been learning how to do with your other powers. But it has to be a very slow and controlled process. And we can't focus on that now. Not when you need to train and be in top condition to fight one of Genthru's friends."

"Still, three weeks isn't much time…" Biske continued, voice trailing off for a second before she snapped her head up to look into Bleach's eyes before gazing into Killua's. "You two will focus yourself on healing and developing a plan to defeat Genthru."

"Alright."

Then, the woman's eyes turned to Gon. "Gon, you'll train with me. We need to have you ready to avoid his Little Flower."

"Osu!"

As they watched the sunrise, Bleach couldn't help but smile slightly. She was tired and coming close to yet another life-threatening combat, but Killua's calm confidence and Gon's enthusiasm were nothing if not contagious.

_We'll get through this._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The thing Biske said about that 'fixed Aura reserve' comes completely from my head. =.= But it is actually something that always nothered me in the manga/anime. When teaching Gon and Killua about Nen, Wing said that if someone used all of their Aura, they'd die, but Gon keeps pushing himself to the limits time and time again, so that will be my explanation as to how he is still alive. Also, I needed something to limit Bleach's healing capacities as to not make it easy for her to go around healing people whenever she feels like it. XD


	29. Greed Island: Endgame

_"Still, three weeks isn't much time…" Biske continued, voice trailing off for a second before she snapped her head up to look into Bleach's eyes before gazing into Killua's. "You two will focus yourself on healing and developing a plan to defeat Genthru."_

_"Alright."_

_Then, the woman's eyes turned to Gon. "Gon, you'll train with me. We need to have you ready to avoid his Little Flower."_

_"Osu!"_

_As they watched the sunrise, Bleach couldn't help but smile slightly. She was tired and coming close to yet another life-threatening combat, but Killua's calm confidence and Gon's enthusiasm were nothing if not contagious._

_We'll get through this._

* * *

Preparations were made and trainings were concluded.

Thanks to Tsezugera's efforst, Gon, Killua and Bleach had time to get ready to challenge Genthru and his accomplices and, thanks to Goreinu's contacting them to warn that Tsezugera had finally left the game, they knew that the battle would take place in a matter of moments. So, as soon as Goreinu terminated their Contact connection, Biske put a good distance between her and the trio. This fight was the chance they had to fight stronger opponents and gain some real-combat experience and the Nen-master couldn't allow one of their opponents the chance to go after her instead of her students.

As expected, Genthru and his two friends used Accompany to follow Gon.

"What do you want?" Killua demanded of Genthru, feigning surprise and fear.

"Don't be so hostile." The Bomber said. "We're here to propose a deal."

"A deal? We aren't interested!" The former assassin yelled defensively.

"It's not a bad deal; we really think Tsezugera would've approved." Genthru continued unaffected. "It's quite simple: we'll beat the game in everyone's behalf, then all can return to the real world and we'll split Battera's reward."

"Yeah, right." Bleach spoke sarcastically, glaring at the trio of Bombers. "As if we'd be stupid enough to believe in you."

"We had a change of heart. And Tsezugera has left the game."

"That doesn't prove he agreed with your offer." Killua stated.

"Well, that's a valid point." Genthru spoke casually as if he was talking to a friend. Then, his whole demeanour changed to that of a murderer and that was when the trio knew it was about to begin. "Then, what now? Do you want to die? Stop yapping and hand over your cards! Otherwise, we'll kill you all!"

The trio quickly backed away as Gon summoned his Binder and used Accompany to take them to Soufrabi.

And so started a wild chase throughout Greed Island that ended with Gon, Killua and Bleach "cornered" in the woods just outside Masadora.

* * *

"Now, why don't you give up your cards?" Genthru asked/demanded.

"No way! We'll never let you have them!" Gon denied loudly, glaring at the Bomber. "We rather fight than hand over our cards to you!"

"Oi, Gon!" Killua exclaimed, pretending to be unhappy with that decision. "Damn… Bleach! Run for it!"

The woman faked surprise at hearing the order before complying with it. As planned, one of Genthru's accomplices – the blue-haired one – started to chase her.

The thief ran until she reached the outskirts of the forest. Once there were no more trees in her way, she stopped and turned around to face her opponent.

"What? Tired already?" The man, Bara, asked, smirking cockily at her.

Bleach returned his smirk with one of her own and quickly summoned Trera's bracelets around her wrists, alongside Iaro's staff in her left hand.

"Actually, there's something I've been dying to test and you'll be my guinea pig." The woman spoke, widening her smirk at Bara's confused expression. "Ready?"

With that, the thief attacked him.

Confident mask back on, Bara started to dodge the thief's blows and kicks and was very unimpressed to find that she left him many openings to explore. Ready to put an end to the fight quickly, Bara reached out to grab her left upper arm – the one that was holding the staff - with his right hand. A sadistic smirk stretched on the man's lips at seeing the fear in his victim's brown eyes.

"Little Flower!"

A minor explosion surrounded Bara's hands, making a thick smoke surround the two Nen users and effectively blind them. Too confident of his victory, Bara didn't pay attention to the fact that this particular smoke wasn't mostly composed by soot as his explosions usually were but by dirt, nor did he pay any mind to the lack of the smell of burnt flesh. What the Bomber did notice was the cocky chuckle coming from the woman, instead of the expected scream of agony.

"That was quicker than I thought; you finding an opening to attack me, I mean." He heard the woman's voice, only much deeper than before. "You have a good eye for fist-fights - much better than mine, at least. Too bad for you that I was expecting this."

The smoke started to go down, allowing Bara to finally take a look at his handwork. The man's eyes doubled their size at seeing that, instead of holding the flesh of the woman's arm in his hand, he was gripping a thick and dense layer of stone and dirt.

"What t-"

Quickly, Bara released the arm and made to jump back from his opponent, but a large and heavy hand grabbed at the front of his shirt, holding him in place. Automatically, the man's eyes lowered to the woman's face but, instead of the head of white hair he was expecting, all he saw were stones and soil. The woman had been replaced by an earthy golem.

Suddenly, the golem raised its head to him and Bara could swear it was smirking in sadistic anticipation as its left arm was lowered to the floor, making the staff touch a spot in-between the Bomber's feet. Instinct told Bara to activate Ken immediately.

"Thunder Link." The golem's voice seemed to echo around him.

Next thing Bara knew, a lightning bolt descended from the clouds to the exact spot the staff had touched, connecting the skies and the Earth for a short second. The electric current that went through Bara's body was enough to make the Bomber scream in agony and fall to his knees, while Bleach, thanks to her earthy armour remained completely unscathed.

Though still conscious, Bara was completely disoriented on the ground, incapable of performing any sort of Nen-manipulation. Naturally, Bleach didn't miss her chance and quickly descended a heavy, rock-covered arm on the back of the barely-conscious man's head, completely knocking him out.

"Tsk." Bleach pouted as she allowed Iaro's staff and Trera's bracelets to disappear. "I have to practice more. The eletric current was too weak to even knock him out."

* * *

After tying Bara with a rope, completely binding his movements, Bleach used an Accompany card to go to the person she was most worried about.

"Accompany, on! Killua Zoldyck!"

To the thief's utmost relief, the former assassin had won his fight as well and was just finishing binding Sub, his opponent.

"Already finished?" Bleach asked as she approached the boy with a smirk on her face. "Nice going, brat."

"You didn't do badly yourself." Killua commented as he spared the unconscious Bara a glance.

Bleach's smirk widened for a second before she knelt down by the boy to help him tie Sub up.

"You know…" Killua began. "I'm surprised you came here first. I was pretty certain you'd run to Gon after your fight was finished.

Bleach shrugged. "I just-" - _had this annoying and insistent voice on the back of my head ordering me to keep you safe no matter what._ "-knew that Gon wouldn't accept my help, no matter how much he needed. You, on the other hand, would surely swallow your pride if you actually needed help."

Killua raised his eyes to Bleach. While the woman did have a point, it was not like her to follow logic if it meant putting Gon's life on the line. It could be because Gon was her saviour's son or just because the cheerful boy had a way to grow into people's hearts like an infectious disease, but the thief always did whatever she could to keep him safe. However, since they began the game, Bleach was spending more and more time worrying less about Gon and more about him instead, and that was very odd. The former assassin wondered if it was because she found Gon stronger than him –  _Yeah, right._ – or if something happened during their time apart to make her go through such a change of heart.

"Something wrong?" Bleach asked, furrowing her eyebrows at him.

Killua spent a few more seconds staring intently into Bleach's eyes, analysing her, before letting out a frustrated sigh.

"Nothing. Let's just grab these two and go to our meeting point. I have an Accompany card for us to meet up with Biske."

It would be useless to question Bleach about her change of favourites. The woman herself didn't realize what she was doing and he doubted she'd be willing to tell her what she had done during their time apart. Even in York Shin, when she'd sneak out on them, the thief never told them just what was that she did in her time alone, no matter how much Killua annoyed her to do so. The thief could be surprisingly private.

"Accompany, on! Biscuit Krueger!"

* * *

Waiting for Gon to finish his fight was pure torture on Bleach's nerves. The woman didn't stop pacing back and forth and, many times, it took Biske's iron fist punching the back of her head to keep her from going after the boy.

When an Accompany light came to their directions, Bleach's eyes shone with relief and excitement.

When said light hit the ground and revealed a badly beaten Gon missing his left hand, Bleach's heart almost stopped beating altogether.

"GON!"

Without thinking, the woman ran to him and dropped on her knees, embracing the boy softly as to not hurt him. Soon, they both were surrounded by a soft indigo light-

"BLEACH!"

-that didn't last one second before Biske delivered a swift roundhouse kick on the side of Bleach's head, making the woman stop using her healing powers.

"We have 6 Clone to use Breath of Archangel, stupid." Killua spoke with an amused smile as he approached a fallen Bleach. "We'll use one to heal Gon right away; there's no need for you to kill yourself from Nen exhaustion."

Bleach, who was still a little dizzy, sat up slowly, worried gaze glued on Gon's battered figured. The brunette boy noticed this and quickly gave her a bright and thankful smile.

The thief couldn't help but smile back.

* * *

Once everyone was healed - including Genthru and his friends - and Goreinu gave them the remaining cards to clear the game, the event to get the last Restricted Slot card began:

A Grand Quiz about the Restricted Slots cards, involving all of the players.

Naturally, Gon, the one in the party who was present in the retrieving of all the Restricted Slots cards, paying attention to everything in the game, scored the most points among all of the players in Greed Island.

The boy cleared the game and received the reward: the right to take three cards to the real world and a special event involving all of the players in the game.

Biske chose the Blue Planet card to take home, while the trio decided on the other two cards. Gon's idea was to morph an Accompany card into Path to Shore and use Paladin's Necklace to make it return to its original state so he could go to Nigg – what he believed was the anagram used by Ging in Greed Island - alongside Killua and Bleach.

And so, the four of them returned to the real world and, after the trio bid Biske – their Nen master and friend – goodbye, Gon used Accompany.

* * *

"Accompany, on! Nigg!"

In a matter of seconds, Gon, Killua and Bleach found themselves in a forest covered by a thick fog. They would be completely alone, if it wasn't for the figure in front of them, sitting on the ground as he fished.

Bleach felt her heartbeat double its pace as a hopeful smiling came to her lips.

_Ging._


	30. Chimera Ants: Biohazard

_In a matter of seconds, Gon, Killua and Bleach found themselves in a forest covered by a thick fog. They would be completely alone, if it wasn't for the figure in front of them, sitting on the ground as he fished._

_Bleach felt her heartbeat double its pace as a hopeful smiling came to her lips._

_Ging._

* * *

It all happened too fast for Bleach to follow.

One moment, they were standing behind Ging's shadow, staring at the Hunter with wide eyes as he stood up, his body covered by a blue cloak. On the next, they were pushed some feet away from each other as the man conjured a rifle with his Nen and pointed it towards Gon.

Killua and Bleach were soon on their feet, grabbing the brunette boy and pulling him away from the weapon's line of fire a couple of seconds before it started shooting bullets through the soil.

The trio was sprawled on the ground when Killua noticed some pieces of fist-sized ants falling all around them.

"Are you hurt?" The Hunter asked the trio.

Bleach felt disappointment grab at her heart immediately; she would recognize Ging's voice anywhere and that certainly wasn't it.  _However, this voice is familiar…_

Quickly, the thief stood up with her eyes narrowed as to try and make out the silhouette approaching them through the curtain of dust. She could make out a thin man, wearing a mushroom-shaped hat.

Her eyes widened in quick recognition.  _No fucking way. That is-_

"Kaito?" The woman whispered at the same time the Hunter removed the cloak from his body, revealing his thin frame and his head of long, white hair.

"Hey, what was that all about?!" Killua demanded. "First you push us, then you shoot at us! What's with this fooling around?!"

"Fooling around?" Kaito echoed. "I was being dead-serious. If I hadn't opened fire, you would've been attacked."

"By what?! The ants you shot?!"

As to illustrate his anger, the former assassin stood up to stomp on one mutilated ants on the ground. To his surprise, the upper-half of the ant jumped his leg, biting him just below the knee.

"Killua!" Bleach exclaimed and dropped to her knees before the boy as to pull the ant's head from his leg.

However, before she could do so, Kaito had pushed her out of the way once more before he himself removed the ant from the boy's leg, throwing it on the ground and shooting it to oblivion with his Nen rifle.

"That's not an ordinary ant. It's a Chimera Ant; an aggressive, carnivorous insect, currently under class-1 quarantine. From time to time they even attack humans." Kaito explained. "You three were standing atop their nest. Had I not fired, an army of Chimera Ants would've consumed you by now." Then, the man walked to Killua, offering him a small gourd. "Apply this; it's an antibiotic."

That said, Kaito turned his eyes to Bleach. "What in the world are you doing here, Bleach?"

The woman deadpanned. "Nice to see you too."

"Ah, sorry, that's not what I meant." The man apologized, scratching the back of his neck in an awkward manner. "I just didn't expect to see you again in a place such as this, let alone accompanied by two children. It was just… inopportune. Being forced to take a life because of your sudden appearance."

Killua was about to ask how the two knew each other, but an exclamation from Gon cut him off and made all three white-haired people turn their curious eyes to the brunette boy.

"Ah! Is that you, Gon? You sure have grown up." Kaito spoke, smiling in realization.

"Kaito!" Gon greeted, bright smiling stretchin on his lips.

Killua felt his eye twitch.  _How does everyone here know each other but me?!_

* * *

Hours later found the four Hunters exchanging adventure tales around a bonfire. The fire was dying and the sun was rising when Kaito asked the million-jenny question:

"Would you like me to tell you where Ging is?"

Bleach's eyes shone and she jumped on her feet. "Of co-"

"No." Gon cut her off, making the thief fall to her knees in defeat. "I want to find him on my own."

"Good answer." Kaito commented with a smile of approval.

Killua also had a smile of his own as he watched Bleach pout at the ground, but it was one of sadistic amusement.

"Damn it, Gon. So close…" The thief murmured, close to tears.

"Look on the bright side, Bleach." The former assassin began, his face acquiring cat-like features. "You and I will get to spend more time together looking for Gon's dad."

The woman promptly let her body plank the ground, successfully burying her face on the dirt as a theatrically pitiful wail escaped her lips.

The three males around laughed out loud at the woman's pretended misery before they all resumed their conversation; this time with Kaito explaining where they were and what it was that he was doing.

* * *

"We are in the country of Kakin, in the middle of the Asian continent. The government here asked me to conduct some research on life forms. Discovering new species and study their behaviour is my job. Would you like to see some of my latest footages? I've discovered some new species."

Gon and Killua quickly exclaimed an excited "Yes!" while Bleach just shrugged her shoulders.

As the trio watched the footage, Kaito retrieved his phone. "Damn, it seems I have no signal here."

Absent-mindedly, Bleach retrieved her phone. "Here, you can us- oh, mine has no signal either."

"Yeah, and I was needing to call my team."

"Team? You mean you're not here alone?" Gon asked, raising his eyes to Kaito.

"Yeah. There are seven people in my research team. They should be here at any moment, actually. Once, they arrive, I'll introduce them to you. They're amateurs, but very skilled."

* * *

It didn't take long for some of Kaito's companions to arrive and, after introductions were made, the group resumed talking about Kaito's work of finding new species before Mon, a large man from Kaito's team, retrieved a glass vial with a claw from the Chimera Ant Queen.

"Holy shit! It's as long as my finger!" Bleach exclaimed, grabbing the vial from the man's hand to examine it better. "How big can these things get?"

"Let me see it." Killua said, taking the vial from Bleach's hand, earning himself a glare from the thief. "It is very big… Maybe an ant mutated and outgrew the others?"

"That's a possibility." Kaito confirmed before turning to gaze at his team-mates. "But we have to confirm it anyway. Sorry, but you won't be able to catch a breath, we must go investigate this right away."

"Ne, can we come too, Kaito-san?" Gon asked excitedly.

The thin Hunter stared at Gon, Killua and Bleach's eyes - all curious and eager - before smiling at the boy.

"Sure."

* * *

After a whole day of fruitless searches, the party decided to go to York Shin City, where the lab that provided them the Chimera Ant Queen's claw was located, in an attempt of finding new leads.

After some research using the computer in their hotel room, Kaito came to the conclusion that the Queen was, most likely, building her nest in NGL, an autonomous area where people strived to live in balance with Nature, without any sorts of technological advancements. Not only people found with any type of technological device on them were executed in NGL, but there were also rumours that the country was producing an illegal drug called D2, that was rapidly growing in the cities worldwide.

After hearing all of that, Bleach sneaked away from the party and walked to the veranda, pulling her cell phone out of her pocket and staring at it thoughtfully.

_In NGL I won't be able to call Illumi if Killua is in danger._

A scowl came to the thief's lips as soon as the thought came to her mind. Why the fuck was she thinking about Illumi in a moment like that? It was beyond creepy and she would not continue! As of now, she was not giving the assassin a second thought! She was not betraying Killua again by texting with his brother! She was going to delete the bastard from her contacts' list! She was-

-pressing the call button and raising the phone to her ear.

" _You've reached Illumi Zoldyck. I can't answer you at the moment, so leave your name and number and I'll call you back."_

The woman let out a very relieved sigh and ended the call, just as Killua and Gon were coming out on the veranda.

"Hey there." Bleach greeted, giving them a brief smirk.

"Hey…" Killua replied in a low voice, staring out at the night sky from her right side.

Gon said nothing and just stood by her left, with a small smile on his face.

The thief furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "…Something wrong?"

"I could be asking you the same thing." Killua replied, turning his analytical eyes to the thief. "You've been acting weird lately – more than usual, I mean. Did something happen on that trip of yours?"

_I went to the castle where my family was fucking murdered, actually remembered a little about my little brother Drea, got tortured by one of my fucking guardians and almost killed by the other. Also, I fucked that psychopath you call older brother and enjoyed every second of it. On the second time… and the third. And let's not forget that I also cuddled with and kissed him. And now… now I feel some sort of weird dependence regarding that bastard. As if I owe him calls and text messages about your well-being and location. I don't want to follow through with these, but I can't help myself, even though I know I'm betraying you in the worst possible way._

"Nothing really." Bleach lied with a shrug of her shoulders. "I got new guardians - something I've told you about already - but that was it. I won't lie to you, I had a hard time acquiring Trera and Iaro, but nothing too serious. I'm here, aren't I?"

"You know, Bleach-" Gon began in a soft voice. "-I don't mind that you're keeping secrets from us. I know you like to keep some things to yourself because you think your problems are yours to deal with, but… we're here, you know? If you ever need or just want to talk about whatever is bothering you, we want you to do so. Whatever you've done, we won't think any less of you. You're our friend and we'll gladly help you in whatever you need."

Bleach's eyes were wide and brimming with tears while her smirk involuntarily morphed in a heartfelt smile.

"You're too cute, Gon. You too, Killua." Bleach spoke, drying unfallen tears on the back of her right arm. "Thank you, boys. You're the best friends I could ever ask for."

Gon smiled brightly up at her while Killua blushed at the ground.

* * *

_Next day. York Shin airport._

The trio was chatting happily away as they waited to board the airship which would take them to the Mitene Union, the island where NGL was located, when Kaito approached them.

"We have no idea what is the situation in NGL." Kaito spoke. "There may very well be a swarm of giant Chimera Ants already, hunting down humans. If that turns out to be the case, my priority will be saving my team so I may not be able to help you. You must be able to protect yourselves. If you want to come, that's the requirement."

Bleach's trademark smirk remained on her face, although her jaw was clenched in worry; she had a bad feeling about this trip and wanted nothing more than to call Illumi and beg him to get Killua away from all of this, and back to his home, where he'd be safe. But she decided to hold it back with all of the willpower she could muster, feeling a slight but very real physical pain on the back of her at that.  _I'll protect them. I'll protect Killua and Gon._

"And, if I'm the one in danger-" Kaito continued. "-you should escape without me."

Gon and Killua looked surprised and unhappy at hearing those words, while Bleach quickly nodded at Kaito in agreement. She liked the thin Hunter, she really did, but she wouldn't think twice in abandoning him if it meant getting those two boys to safety.

* * *

_Some days later. NGL border._

To enter NGL, Gon, Killua and Bleach had to exchange their clothes for naturally made pants and tank tops. Not only that, Bleach had to do something she had never done before: make Namid's necklace disappear from her person as she did with the rest of her guardians' weapons.

Those three, alongside Kaito, Dinner and Podungo, were allowed entrance to NGL while the rest of the party stood on stand-by on the nearest town. And so, the party of five rented some horses to travel through NGL.

In less than a couple of hours of horse riding, the Hunters were approached by the most peculiar message-carriers Bleach had ever seen: bees.

Kaito took a moment reading the message before dismissing his two friends, telling them to get out of NGL and to the nearest village. Then, he turned his eyes to Gon, Killua and Bleach.

"It'll be dangerous, but could you accompany me?"

* * *

Bleach felt bile rise in her throat at the scene that was awaiting for her and the others inside the woods. A pool of blood, in which she could see tiny bits of flesh and bones, pieces of fabric and a beaten yellow hat that she knew all too well from the Hunter Exam adorned the forest floor.

It was a sick scene, but her eyes didn't turn from it even as Killua bent down besides her to pick something from the ground.

"This… is a bullet casing." The former assassin said.

The thief furrowed her eyebrows, but it was Gon who voiced her thoughts.

"I thought nothing mechanical was allowed here."

"It seems the underground rulers of NGL were manufacturing guns in addition to drugs." Kaito concluded, arms crossed over his chest.

"Do as I say but not as I do, huh?" Bleach couldn't help but comment with a disgusted frown on her lips. "Damn bastards."

"But this kill wasn't made by a human." Kaito continued, earning himself wide-eyed stares from the trio. "Most likely, it was a Chimera Ant."

* * *

The four Hunters searched their surroundings and found a small village. However, as they approached the place to ask if anyone knew about something regarding the Chimera Ants, they found nothing more than empty houses and abandoned goods.

"What the hell?" Bleach breathed out as she exited an empty house. "It seems like we had a freaking exodus here."

A warning came from the back of her head, telling her it was time to find a way to notify Illumi, but she forced herself to ignore it. The sharp headache that came at her decision made her clench her teeth as to not cry out.

"I smell something." Gon announced before pointing a direction. "Coming from over there."

* * *

"This is beyond creepy…" Bleach spoke, staring at wide eyes what she deemed a satanic ritual. As if seeing the human remains of that girl from the Hunter Exam wasn't enough, now she was staring at the corpses of three horses, impaled on a tree each.

"Hey!" A rough voice came from behind, getting the Hunters to turn their heads around.

Bleach felt as if her eyes were about to pop out of her skull at what she saw. Standing right in front of them was a tall, thong-wearing… thing, that looked like a humanoid mix of a rabbit and a bird.  _Holy crap! Who called Easter Bunny's ugly cousin to the party?_

Slowly, the thing pointed a finger at them.

"Trash." It spoke, glaring daggers at them. "Those are mine!"

Bleach felt like scoffing at the creature –  _yeah, we came all the way here to steal your horses sacrifices_  – but refrained from doing so in order to pay double attention to its movements. As expected, the thing attacked them. Naturally, Kaito was fast enough to dodge the blow, but the younger Hunters couldn't do nothing more than raise their arms to defend themselves. The blow was enough to push the trio many feet back as a deep pain coursed through their bodies.

For a moment, Kaito raised his Nen and Bleach believed the Hunter would take care of the mutant thing that attacked them. However, her hope was short-lived when he retreated some steps and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"Gon, Bleach, Killua… You three must deal with him yourselves." Kaito stated. "That is a Chimera Ant soldier. We will encounter many more like him and I won't be able to help you during combat. If you can't defeat it, you'll have to leave or else you'd just be in my way."

With decisive nods, the trio activated Ren and started to approach the Chimera Ant.

"I don't like that condescending tone in your voice, Kaito." Bleach spoke; her trademark smirk on her lips. "You really shouldn't use it on us."

Killua nodded, pulling up his sleeves. "We're pro-Hunters."

"Don't treat us as kids." Gon finished, narrowing his eyes dangerously at the Chimera Ant.

There was a moment of pause after the words left Gon's lips.

Then the three Hunters attacked the Ant.

The trio began slow, trying to deliver simple Nen-enhanced blow to the creature. However, it managed to block and deflect their kicks and punches easily, all the while delivering its own blows.

It was time for them to level up their game.

The Chimera Ant had dodged one of Gon's punches and was about to elbow the boy in the back when Bleach finally summoned one of her weapons; more specifically, Runvle's mirror. Before the Chimera Ant's elbow could connect with Gon, a thin and translucent wall intercepted the blow, surprising the creature. It was more than enough time for the brunette boy to retreat and for Killua to test his new technique.

From many feet up in the air, Killua concentrated electricity Nen in his right hand.

"Narukami!"

With that word, a strong electric current left the white-haired boy's body and attacked the Chimera Ant, stunning it long enough for Gon to prepare his own attack.

"First comes rock! Jan-ken-GUU!"

Gon's punch sent the Chimera Ant flying high in the air.

"Yes! Just enough!" Killua exclaimed with a victorious smile, ready to test yet another new ability.

Bleach smirked at that.  _The boy has another technique to test? Not bad…_

However, her smirk was short lived as another Chimera Ant went flying over their heads and grabbed their opponent, forcing it to retreat.

But not before roaring its farewell to the trio:

"RAAAAAAAAAAAR! BASTARDS! I'M DEFINETELY GOING TO EAT YOU! I WILL REMEMBER THIS!"

The roar was loud, strong and full of hate. It was more than enough to make Bleach's blood run cold as her headache hit her full-force.

"Ah!" The thief let out, grabbing the side of her head with her right hand and dropping to her knees in pain.

"Bleach!" Gon exclaimed as he ran to her side. "Are you alright?"

The woman didn't respond; all she did was stare at the ground with unfocused eyes.

_Illumi… I need to-_

Then, she passed out.


	31. Chimera Ants: A Glitch In Nen

"She's waking up!"

It took Bleach long moments to process the meaning of the words spoken just above her, and even longer to place the voice as belonging to Gon. As her eyes fluttered open, the woman started to make up two blotched heads close to hers and another one, floating some feet above.

"What the…?"

The woman blinked a couple of times in an attempt to focus her vision. Sure enough, she made out Gon and Killua's worried faces, just a couple of inches above hers, and Kaito's figure standing up behind them, staring down at her with a mix of anxiousness and relief. Behind him, she could see the impaled horses and the dark night sky.

"What happened?" Bleach asked as Gon helped her to sit up. "How long was I out?"

"Not long. 30 minutes maximum." Kaito answered. "How are you feeling?"

"As if I just had the worst hang-over in history." Bleach answered, grabbing the side of her head. "What happened to me? Did that… thing hit me on the head or something?" At hearing that, the three males exchanged a glance that unnerved Bleach terrible. "Spit it out, you three! What's going on here?"

"You really don't remember, Bleach?" Gon began in a soft voice. "You just screamed, grabbing your head tightly, and passed out. No one hit you or anything."

The thief's eyes widened. "What? But that's impossible."

"What do you remember, Bleach?" Killua asked, staring at her with analytical eyes.

"We were fighting that Easter Bunny-wannabe then... a flying Chimera Ant grabbed him." The woman recollected, scratching the back of her head absent-mindedly as she glared at the ground in concentration. "Then… then I don't know. It's all a blank."

"Don't you remember feeling anything?" Kaito put in. "Maybe you lost control of your Ken and some of that Chimera Ant's murderous Aura got to you."

Bleach shook her head softly. "I don't know. Maybe. But that's weird; since I've learned it, I always keep my Ken activated when close to an enemy."

"We all make mistakes." The older Hunter put in, ending the subject. "We have to go now. Are you up for it?"

Bleach nodded firmly. "I'm good."

"You sure, Bleach?" Gon asked worriedly. "Maybe it would be better if you went back t-"

"I'm alright, Gon." The woman answered with a smirk as she stood up from the ground. "A little headache is not going to keep me from the fun. You know me better than that."

Killua smirked as well. "Leave her, Gon. She's too stubborn to roll over and die, anyway. Plus, if push came to shove, she can always summon her healing necklace."

"That's right!" The brunette boy agreed with a bright smile.

"We're all ready, then?" Kaito asked.

As one, the trio turned to him and nodded.

"Let's go."

* * *

The four Hunters searched for the Chimera Ants' nest as fast as they could. They walked until coming across some mountains full of tunnels that composed a deadly labyrinth, where they found and fought Chimera Ants almost as soon as they entered it. After killing those Chimera Ants and searching the place, Kaito stated that they were not in the actual nest, but that it was close, so the four of them left the tunnels and returned to the forest in order to find the actual place.

It wasn't long before their Nen attracted many Chimera Ants to their location; all dying to capture the "special prey". It also wasn't long before Bleach's headache started to build up again, alongside with her worry for Killua and that annoying need to call Illumi.

To Bleach's surprise, instead of ganging up an attacking them at the same time, the Chimera Ants opted for one-on-one combats to capture them.  _Stupid ants. They'd have a better chance of defeating us if they all attacked at the same time. Their numbers are huge._ She'd never say that out-loud though; her worry and headaches went down quite a bit at hearing that their danger wasn't all that great.

Naturally, Gon and Killua were eager to fight the first opponent and had to decide who would be first on Jan-Ken-Po. True to his character, Gon won the game and defeated the first enemy. Killua soon beat the second.

"My turn." Bleach spoke with a cocky smirk as she took some steps in the line-up of Chimera Ants. "Who's up for the challenge?"

Not a second later, a snake-like Chimera Ant slithered towards Bleach. Its body was about 5 meters long, very thick and covered in hard, black scales. On one of its upper end, the Ant had a humanoid, female torso and face.

"Let's see how cocky you are when I melt that smirk off your face." The creature taunted with an ugly sneer.

Bleach's smirk just widened as Foog's chackrams materialized in her hands and Ken enveloped her body. One second she and the snake-like ant were locked in a stare-down; on the next, fire was flowing out of her chackram's hollow centre and burning the grass in front of the Chimera Ant, raising a curtain of smoke.

The thief charged at the Chimera Ant with completely silent steps, replacing her Ken for Zetsu as to not alert her opponent of her approach.

Too bad for her that the snake she was fighting was a viper and, as such, could count with infrared sensing to find her warm blood, even through a curtain of smoke. Bleach had just leaped in the air, ready to hit the snake on its humanoid head, but the Chimera Ant's tail sneaked up her whole body, holding it in place a few inches away from its own torso, both of them face-to-face.

"Sorry, human." The Ant mocked with a sleazy smirk on its face. "But you're going to become a meal."

That said, the Chimera Ant's jaw opened impossibly wide and her fangs protruded from her mouth; poison dripping from them. Bleach's eyes widened for a second as she understood what was about to happen. Quickly, the Hunter summoned Trera's bracelets around her wrists and her upper body was covered by stones. Not a second after poison shot out from the snake's fangs, melting the outer layer of stones covering her.

Not giving the Chimera Ant the chance to charge enough poison for a second attack, Bleach raised her stone-covered right arm, pushing her chackram to the side of the creature's head.

"Hell's Punishment!"

Fire engulfed the Chimera Ant's head and neck, making it release Bleach and slither around uncontrollably as she screamed in agony. It wasn't long before it fell dead on the forest ground. As the stones dropped from her body, Bleach frowned at the sight of the dead Chimera Ant. She knew she had to survive and that the… thing was not a human, but it still had a human face and a human voice. It just didn't sit right with her, killing that snake.

She didn't have much time to debate on the amorality of her actions, for Kaito walking by her with a huge-ass scythe in his hand soon became her new focus of attention.

"Gon, Bleach, Killua!" Kaito called. "In three seconds, jump up."

In three seconds, all of the Chimera Ants surrounding them were dead.

* * *

The more the four Hunters walked around the forest, looking for the Chimera Ants' nest, the more Bleach's headache intensified once again. The woman had her jaw clenched in pain and Illumi's voice singing in her head, but she refused to complain about it; they had other things to worry about.

_**Keep me posted about my little brother, alright?** _

_Just. Shut. UP!_

Killua noticed Bleach's pain, but also decided not to bring it up. At least for now.

Both white-haired Hunters were taken from their inner musings as Kaito stopped walking and crouched behind some bushes, prompting them and Gon to halt their movements.

"What's wrong, Kaito?" Gon asked.

"Gon, Bleach, Killua! Run!" When those three didn't move, Kaito turned anxious eyes to them. "Hurry! Get out of here!"

The three young Hunters watched with wide eyes as Kaito jumped and made a wide motion with his right arm, encouraging them to stay away.

"Get away from me!"

Suddenly, an enormous and terrifying murderous Aura surrounded them and, before any could understand what was happening, Kaito's arm had been severed and was flying high in the air. A humanoid figure crouched not ten meters away.

Gon shouted out in anger.

Bleach, finally understanding how just in how much danger they were, was about to grab the boys and run away, but her headache suddenly erupted again, making her fall to her knees, screaming in pain as her Nen went completely crazy and a voice raged in her mind.

Strangely, it wasn't Illumi's.

_**You thought you were safe from me, did you not, Chosen One? Well, I have news for you: we are merged together. Forever.** _

The woman felt a physical pain on the back of her neck, as if someone had just hit her. Her vision blurred and she felt herself start to lose consciousness as her uncontrolled Nen start to calm. She felt her body being thrown over a hard albeit small shoulder and saw blurry images of an armless and upside-down Kaito facing what seemed to be a woman with cat ears and tail. The image didn't last more than a second though, as her vision soon turned black. As the thief was about to lose consciousness, she also felt her Nen finally settle down completely, making the hateful voice less present in her mind.

But it did not leave her without a promise.

_**Do not think this is over. You can try to keep my Nen sealed inside of you, but the smallest disturbance of your own will set me free. Until next time, Chosen One. And, believe me, there will be a next time.** _

Bleach felt her body start to move at an alarming speed before fainting for the second time that day.

* * *

Bleach woke up to the sound of multiple voices above her. One was Killua's, two she didn't know who they belonged to, and the last one was familiar, but she couldn't exactly pinpoint where she had heard it before.

"Gon was going to attack the enemy, so I had to use force to put him out." That was definitely Killua. "I did the same to Bleach."

"She was going to attack the enemy too?" The familiar voice asked, surprised. "Fighting a stronger foe doesn't sound like her."

"I don't know what she was going to do. Suddenly, she felt down on her knees, grabbing her head and screaming in pain. I thought better not to take any chances and just knock her out too."

Bleach's eyes fluttered open at hearing that and immediately set on Killua.

"Again…?" She asked weakly.

The boy lowered his eyes to her and just nodded his head. The thief let out a curse under her breath as she sat up and raised her eyes to the owners of the three other voices she had heard.

There were three men standing tall in front of Killua. One had black hair and was wearing a black suit, the other had white hair and sunglasses, and the third…

"Old man. Fancy seeing you here." Bleach greeted with a smirk. "The situation must be bad if the Chairman himself came here to check out these Chimera Ants."

"It's difficult to believe that giant Chimera Ants are eating humans, but since it appears to be true, we must keep casualties at minimum." Netero explained. "If we send fighters who aren't strong enough, they'll only strengthen the enemy. Do you understand?"

Bleach nodded before moving her eyes to Killua, scanning him for any injuries. Once she was satisfied with his state, she turned her gaze to a sleeping Gon, who was lying right beside her. She couldn't keep the relieved smile at seeing those two alive and well. However…

"Gon will want to fight the Chimera Ants." Bleach stated, reaching out to comb her fingers through the brunette's hair. "Strong enough or not."

Netero smiled at hearing that and threw two pieces of wood to Killua. "We sent two assassins to the nearest village. It's your decision whether you want to fight. But you must defeat them before you come, Killua and Gon."

Bleach and Killua looked at the pieces of wood then at each other, surprised, as the Chairman and his two companions walked away.

"But, old man!" Bleach called to his retreating form. "What if I want to fight as well?!"

Not turning around to face the thief, Netero replied.

"You're out." Netero answered, prompting Bleach to glare at his back and open her mouth to yell at him but he beat her to it. "But, if you want to be our support, you're in."

Both Bleach and Killua exchanged a confused glance at hearing that. As if sensing that, Netero stoped walking and looked at them from over his shoulder.

"I've heard some rumours that you can use Nen to heal others. That ability will be quite handy in NGL. Provided that you master that power you're worth protecting, so we'll allow you to come without having to fight anyone. Deal?"

Bleach and Killua nodded at each other before the thief returned her gaze to the Chairman.

"Deal."

* * *

The first thing Killua and Bleach did when they arrived at the nearest, technology-friendly village was to check the whiteboard that stood inside the place's train-station, in which anyone could write just about anything. Sure enough, there was a message for them:

**TO: GON AND KILLUA**

**WILL YOU FIGHT?! OR NOT?!**

Bleach didn't waste a second in grabbing a marker and writing a big "FUCK YEAH" beneath the question.

* * *

With that out of the way, the two white-haired Hunters carried Gon's unconscious body to a nearby inn, so they could finally put the boy on a bed. As soon as the brunette was settled, Killua sat down on the side of the bed and lowered his eyes to the floor, gazing at it with a defeated expression on his face.

"Hey, Killua." Bleach began, dropping besides the boy. "Chin up, brat. You saved mine and Gon's lives; you shouldn't be kicking yourself like that."

"I ran away. I let that Chimera Ant's Nen scare me away from even trying to fight it. I'm worse than a loser."

"I don't know who was the shithead that told you that, but you shouldn't listen to them. They didn't feel that monstrous Nen." Bleach spoke, scowling at the floor. "That thing's Nen was enormous; we had no chance against it. With or without Kaito on our side, we'd surely be killed. Running from a foe you certainly can't win is not cowardice, Killua. It's good fucking sense – something that most Hunters lack immensely." Then, the woman nudged the boy's side and gave him a playful smirk. "You know me; I may not have many brain cells left but I do use them, so I'm all about strategic retreats. But, if it bothers you so much to run away, train hard and kick those assassins' asses so we can go back to NGL. You'll get another chance against those things then. A  _real_  chance."

A small smile pulled at the corners of Killua's lips for a second and Bleach took it as a sign that she had succeeded in cheering up the boy, even if slightly.

"Now, if you excuse me-" The woman began as she stood up from the bed. "-I've got a call to make. Don't worry; I'll be back in a few minutes."

"I'll try to survive."

Bleach smirked in amusement at the boy's sarcastic comment and gave him a wink before walking out of the room.

* * *

As soon as she was out of Killua's sight, the woman quickly grabbed the back of her head, where she was feeling a constant and annoying pain that she believed was guilt; guilt for not warning Illumi about the dangers his little brother had faced and was going to face still.  _This shit is getting so annoying._

With an ugly scowl on her lips, Bleach walked out of the inn and pulled out her cell to call the assassin.  _Better get this over and done with._

To her surprise, the phone didn't finish one ring before Illumi picked up.

" _Finally. I've been trying to call you for almost two days now. Why didn't you pick up?"_

"I'm doing good, thank you for asking." Bleach spoke in a sarcastic voice, glaring at nothing in particular. "And to answer your question. I didn't have my phone with me, that's why I didn't answer your calls."

" _Why didn't you have your phone with you?"_

"… None of your business."

" _Try again."_

"I don't have to try anything, you shithead." Bleach spat at the phone. "I'm here wasting my time to reassure you that Killua got out alive and unscathed so keep your demanding attitude at a minimum, you hear me? Against my better judgement, I'm doing you a  _favour_ here, so be grateful, you jackass."

Bleach's choice of words was a very bad one, for Illumi's unfeeling voice suddenly acquired a slight sharp edge.  _"What do you mean, Killu got out alive and unscathed? In what kind of danger did your "friend" put my little brother in?"_

The woman gulped.  _Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck. FUCK!_

" _Answer me."_

"It was nothing. Just forget it. No need to worry about Killua; he is safe now." The thief tried in an almost desperate voice. "He'll train and get stronger and so will I. I'll keep him safe."

" _Safe from what?"_

"Nothing."

" _Where are you?"_

"York Shin." Bleach lied without hesitating. "Listen, I gotta go now. If anyth-"

" _Wait; talk to me a little more."_

"I really shouldn't be ta-"

" _Please."_

Bleach frowned at hearing that word. Since when did Illumi  _ask_  for things?

"…Fine. But I'm not telling you what we are doing." The woman stated in a defensive voice.

" _You've made that clear already. Tell me how Killua is."_

"Killua is doing well. We're going in another training-rampage right now. He may actually get stronger than you once we're done."

" _Hmm… And how are you doing?"_

Bleach's frown deepened.

"What do you care about how I'm doing?"

" _Humour me."_

* * *

Illumi stared at the screen of the GPS-locator Millu had developed. It was very similar to a small tablet. It was also a standard gear to the Zoldyck assassins, as some of their targets weren't always easy to find; sometimes, they knew someone out there would try to kill them and hid themselves, so part of the job was to locate them. Illumi lost count of how many times the small device had aided him, making jobs that would take weeks be done in less than three days.

It also helped in his more personal affairs. Like now.

As soon as the words  _"Killua got out alive and unscathed"_  were spoken, the assassin had turned on the device and connected it to his phone, allowing it to take the satellite signals coming from Bleach's cell phone and turn them into map coordinates. He didn't believe for a second they were really in York Shin.

Illumi hadn't received an update about Killu in days now. The last call the thief had made him happened while he was on the job and couldn't pick up, so it ended up in his voicemail. Even the voicemail's contents were unsatisfying to say the least; only a sigh.

And now that the woman had finally called him, she intended to end the call without giving him anything but a clear hint that his little brother was doing something foolish and dangerous.

It was clear he had to personally access the situation.

So, once again Millu's GPS-locator came of use. With it, it would be a matter of time for him to pinpoint where in the world Bleach's cell phone - and, consequently, his little Killu - was. He just needed to keep her on the line.

Asking about her well-being seemed an easy enough way to keep her talking. Women loved to talk about themselves.

" _I'm okay. Training with those two, learning more about my guardians' powers… Nothing to tell, really."_

"…"

But, then again, this was Bleach he was talking with, and she seemed to have a genetic condition that made her do exactly the opposite of what he expected. She always needed a little push.

"So you've been progressing without problems? Last time I saw you touching your weapons they tried to kill you. Twice, actually."

" _Yeah, well, shit happens. But I'm doing just fine now. Or I would be if it wasn't for… You know what? Forget it. It's nothing interesting."_

"Why don't you let me be the judge of that?" The assassin urged, wanting to keep her talking.

"… _I've been having these weird headaches. Killua told me that out of nowhere I just fell on the ground, screaming in pain. And the funny thing is that I remember nothing about the moments before I lose consciousness. It's really creepy. Like Hisoka."_

Illumi couldn't help but smirk in amusement at the thief's analogy.

"When you put it like this, it seems pretty serious."

Of course, he knew it was nothing too life threatening. It was his way of keeping the woman in line regarding his demand of protecting Killu and keeping him up-to-date about his dear brother's well-being. Sure, if she was a normal person and resisted too much, she could end up having a cerebral aneurism or even a stroke, but she had her Guardian of Cure to prevent any lasting damage. Surely, she was exaggerating about the pain, seeking for his sympathy and attention, as any infatuated woman would do.

"But I wouldn't worry much if I was you. I'm sure your magical necklace can take care of it."

"…"

Even through the phone, Illumi could sense the awkwardness of Bleach's sudden silence. It was enough to make him actually tense.

"You are wearing your necklace right now. Right?"

" _Hehe; it's a funny story, actually. I had to dematerialize it yesterday… and forgot to summon it back."_

Illumi had to hold himself from sighing in aggravation as not to give away just how much he was responsible for her pain. During all their time together, she had never taken off her healing necklace – not even during sex – so it was natural for him to use a stronger version of his Hypnotic Spell on her to ensure it would surpass her Guardian of Cure's power and constantly remind her to call him about Killua's situation and keep his little brother safe. He never thought she'd be stupid enough to remove such an useful tool from herself, leaving her body vulnerable to the full potency of his Nen.  _She can be as reckless as Killu._

Amidst his annoyance at Bleach's recklessness and downright idiocy, Illumi didn't notice the GPS-locator's beeping sound of success.

"Why don't you summon your necklace, then? And  _keep it on you_  at all times."

" _Already doing it, man. You know, if I didn't know you better, I'd say you were worried."_

He was worried. Worried about his little brother disappearing in the world without any way for him to find and retrieve him or anyone to keep him from doing stupid things.

"Good thing you know me better then."

" _Yeah, well, I really gotta go now. Talk to you later. Or not. It depends on my humour, really."_

Illumi glanced at the GPS-locator's screen, confirming that it had found out Bleach's coordinates. Satisfied at seeing a small, red dot on the island of the Mitene Union, he dismissed the woman with a monotonous "Bye then."

However, before he could turn off his phone, words shot out from the woman's mouth, keeping him in line for a few more seconds.

" _Oh, before I forget!"_ Illumi noticed how sultry Bleach's voice became even through the phone and he just knew she had one of her teasing, teasing smirks on her lips. _"I took some_ _ **special**_ _pictures, if you know what I mean. And I'm going to send them to you. Hope you enjoy them."_

Illumi allowed a smirk of his own to come to his lips as his mind reminded him of every curve and scar on the woman's body and of just how much he had enjoyed it.

"I'm sure I will."

The assassin heard a low chuckle on the other side of the line before it went dead. A couple of seconds later, his phone beeped, signalizing the images had arrived. Quickly, Illumi opened said images.

What he saw almost had him throwing his phone at the wall in disgust.

On a large scale - and HD quality - in his phone screen was none other than a very naked and very aroused Hisoka, smirking that pervert smile of his from whenever he saw one of his delicious 'fruits'.

Beneath the image, there was a text message:

_**Hope you enjoy these as much as I did. Still do, actually.** _

Illumi didn't know if he should feel cheated by not receiving the  _special_ images he was hoping for, or if he should feel annoyed at knowing the woman wasn't as infatuated with him as he first believed.

_Did they actually have sex? They must have, if she has such photos in her phone._

The man actually scowled. He knew Bleach was fickle, but he was certain he'd be at the top of her list, no matter who else she fucked. However, now he was no longer so sure of that. After all, she had taken the time to take Hisoka's pictures, but not even expressed the desire to take his. Not that he would've allowed her to, but still… it was a matter of principle.

_It has been too long. I need to freshen up her memory of whom exactly she_ _**needs.** _


	32. Chimera Ants: Groundwork

On the next morning, the trio of Hunters returned to the train station to check the billboard for a new message. Instead, they found the original text blurred, as if someone had erased it.

They also found Samara's twin sister – Palm Siberia – who invited them to a coffee house to drink some tea.

* * *

"I'm a student of Knov-sensei." The creepy woman began, pouring sugar on her cup. "But he said I'd only get in his way."

"Who's Knov-sensei?" Gon asked.

"Must be one of the men who was with Chairman Netero." Killua answered.

Bleach remained quiet, observing the sugar mount in the woman's cup with wide eyes.

"Yes. He's the one wearing a black suit." Palm commented. "My teacher is an incredible person. Cool, intelligent, composed… Oh, cool and composed mean the same thing. Oh dear… Oh, but I only respect him, that's all. There's nothing romantic about my feelings for him... Or, at least, I wish that was the case. After all, when it comes to love, respect plays a major factor, right?"

While Killua and Gon exchanged awkward glances, Bleach nodded in understanding, thinking about Ging.  _I know exactly what you mean, creepy Samara look-a-like._

* * *

After the creepiest afternoon tea of their lives, Gon, Killua and Bleach understood that, for them to be admitted in NGL, the boys had to defeat two of Morau's students - Knuckle and Shoot - on their own, in less than a month while Bleach had to develop her healing skills as much as possible.

And, apparently, Palm had made preparations for that to happen, for, as soon as those three set foot back into their hotel room, Gon got punched in the face for saying they'd go back to NGL in one week for none other than-

"BISKE!"

* * *

The Nen master was quick to put the trio under a strenuous training regime.

First was to maintain Ren for three hours, something none of them was able to on the beginning. Gon and Killua's limit was about 55 minutes, while Bleach's was…

* * *

"27 minutes?! Really, Bleach?!" Biske scolded in a loud voice, making the thief clench her teeth in annoyance. "Get back on your feet and start over!"

* * *

Three days later, Gon and Killua managed to keep their Ren going for three hours, so Biske took the boys to go and face Knuckle. And, to Bleach's utmost outrage and shame, she was left behind to keep working on her Ren, which she still couldn't keep activated for more than 2 hours at a time.

"Don't worry, Bleach." Biske spoke with a mega-watts smile. "Palm will keep you busy while we're gone."

Slowly, the exhausted thief turned her head to the Samara look-a-like's direction. Bleach gulped and felt cold sweat streak down her back at seeing the woman holding three kitchen knives in each hand and staring at her with 'psychotic breakdown' written all over her face.

"Keep training, Bleach…" Palm spoke in a ghostly voice. "To slaughter Morau's disciples…"

In less than a second, the thief was back on her feet and with her Ren activated.

* * *

Bleach had a huge – and very relieved smile – on her face when she welcomed the boys back.

"I did it, guys! Thanks to Pal- Who's that you're carrying, Gon?"

The brunette boy smiled up at her. "This is Knuckle. I knocked him out." Then, a little dog appeared from behind the boy and started to bark happily up at her. "And that's his friend!"

Frowning in a mix of confusion and shock, the thief turned her head to Killua, looking for a confirmation of the man's identity. The boy sighed and shrugged his shoulders.

"I was surprised at how easy it was too."

* * *

After that, Knuckle became Gon and Killua's fighting partner. Despite being knocked out by just one of Gon's attacks, the Beast Hunter was actually extremely strong and gave the boys a very good challenge. Every night, after practicing Ren throughout the whole day, those two went to a clearing in the woods to fight.

Bleach went with them as well, but her role was to stay still and train her Ren while she observed the fight, and then heal the three Hunters so she could practice her healing powers.

Bleach hated it. She wanted to fight and get stronger as well, and she made sure to tell that to Biske every chance she had.

* * *

"I know you don't like having such a passive role in this, but your healing Nen is very special, Bleach." Biske spoke to the thief when she made her displeasure known. "It may very well save those boys' lives in NGL."

Bleach never complained again.

* * *

A day before the end of their deadline, Gon and Killua went to fight Knuckle fully rested but, instead of fighting him together as per usual, Gon stood against Knuckle on his own and, if it wasn't for him depleting his Aura completely, the boy would've won the fight.

At the same night, unknown to Bleach and Gon, Killua had a training session with Biske that ended with a clear warning: if you don't defeat Shoot tomorrow, you don't go to NGL.

On the next day, both boys left to face their opponents, while Bleach was left in the hotel room.

* * *

" _You're going to interfere."_ Killua had said.  _"This is for real and you want us to win, so you'll do whatever you can to make that happen and that's not what we want. We'll go fight them on our own."_

* * *

The thief had complained and considered stalking the boys to watch – and  _maybe_  help them  _a tiny little bit_  in their fights – but Biske mauled her into accepting Killua's condition and ordered her to take an off day, since the boys would most likely need her in top condition to heal them afterwards.

And, so, with nothing better to do, Bleach started to wander around the village as night fell, pick-pocketing people out of sheer boredom.

* * *

_You know what? Fuck those two! I'm going to check up on Killua and then Go-_

Ring-ring

Ring-ri-

"Hello?"

" _I'm staying at the Isib Hotel, room 217. Meet me there."_

Before Bleach could reply, the line went dead and she had to resist the urge to throw her phone at the closest wall.  _Fucking piece of shit! Who does he think he is to order me around like that?! I'm not his fucking pet!_

Bleach wanted nothing more than to ignore the order, but she felt a nagging sensation coming from the back of her head, telling her that she simply couldn't deny  _him_ , that she needed to go and see what he needed because it just might be related to Killua's safety.

With an ugly scowl on her lips, Bleach stomped her way to the hotel.

* * *

"Before you start talking, I want you to know you're a fucking asshole and that I hate you."

Illumi observed the woman marching into his room with amused eyes. As expected, Bleach was fuming at having to comply with his order.

Automatically, his black eyes took in her form; her muscles were much more defined than before and, no doubt, much more powerful as well.  _She wasn't joking when she said they were becoming stronger in Greed Island._

"I missed you too." The assassin replied in a mocking voice as he closed the door behind him.

The glare he received made him smirk internally; it was so easy for him to push her buttons.  _Mental and physical._

"What do you want?" Bleach demanded, crossing her arms over her chest and staring at him with an annoyed glare. "It's about Killua, isn't it?"

Illumi put a smile on his face and walked to the woman, reaching for her hand. Softly, he pulled her to the queen-sized bed in the room and sat down on its edge, pulling her along to sit by his side.

To say Bleach was confused at the man's gentle actions would be the understatement of the century.

"What are you planning to do?" Illumi began in a soft voice, caressing the back of her hand with his thumb. "You plan on taking my Killu into NGL to fight those Chimera Ants? You plan on risking his life just like that? I know what is happening in that country and I don't want my brother to take part on it. It's not what he was made for."

"It's his choice." Bleach retorted, unable to raise her eyes from the thumb ghosting over her skin. "I'm not thrilled about it either, but he  _wants_  to help Gon and me with the Ants. There's nothing I can do."

"You can convince him to go home."

Bleach scoffed. "The day that brat listens to me is the day I'll grow wings."

"There are many ways to convince someone to do something." Illumi spoke, his voice dropping an octave lower as he lowered his lips to the woman's ear. "In Killu's case, we must use a mix of sentiment and strength. And I need you to help me to convince him of what it's best for him."

Despite the pleasurable shivers that ran down the woman's spine at hearing Illumi's voice and feeling his breath in her ear, Bleach narrowed her eyes in suspicion.

"You want me to manipulate him?"

"No. I want you to help  _me_ manipulate him."

At that moment, Bleach jumped off the bed and turned around to fix a burning glare on Illumi's patient eyes.

"You just don't change, do you? Haven't your failed attempts at controlling Killua shown you that this is not the way to win him over? You're only pushing him away like that, dumbass."

"Not if I succeed." Illumi responded, grabbing Bleach's hand again and pulling her closer to him. "If I manage to get Killu home, I'm sure I'll be able to make him understand what he truly is. He'll be safe there to become the best assassin in the world."

"He doesn't want to be an assassin! Get it through that thick head of yours already!" Bleach screamed in exasperation, bending down so her face was levelled with the assassin's. "And the only thing Killua  _truly is_  is himself! Killua isn't an assassin! Killua is Killua and that's fucking it! Now, if you want to help me protect him in NGL, you're more than welcomed to do so. But, if all you wanted was to convince me to help manipulate Killua in following your wishes, go fuck yourself and leave me alone!"

Angry, the thief turned around and made to stomp out of the room, but, before she knew it, a hand on her wrist pulled her back to the bed once again. This time, the pull was rougher, making she fall face first on the mattress. Before she could raise her body, Bleach felt Illumi's weight settle on her lower back and his lips ghost over her left ear.

"Calm down, Bleach." The man whispered. "I'm not here to fight you; I just want to talk. Why don't you relax a little and let some steam out so we can have a nice and mature conversation?"

Bleach scowled and turned her head so she could glare at the assassin from the corner of her eye. "And how the fuck do you want me to  _relax_ like this?"

Illumi smirked. That was the question he was waiting for.

Slowly, the man raised his upper body so he was in a sitting position on the thief's lower back and, before she could ask what he was planning, he laid his strong hands over her tense shoulders and started to knead them.

Bleach couldn't keep the delighted moan from escaping her lips.  _So good…_

"I'll help you relax, don't worry."

The woman didn't find it in her to protest as the assassin's hands went down to pull her shirt from her body, nor did she even think of telling him to stop when she felt his fingers undo the clasp of her bra. Instead, she just closed her eyes and moaned in pleasure as Illumi used those skilled hands of his to message her back.  _It should be illegal for a man to be that good with his hands._

Illumi smirked as he felt the woman's muscles relax beneath his fingers.  _So easy._

Slowly, his hands raised from her lower back to her shoulders and then to her arms, pulling them up and over her head. Illumi bent down, once again pressing his still clothed chest to Bleach's back and his lips to her ear.

"You like this, don't you?" Illumi whispered in a soft voice, his hands gently rubbing Bleach's forearms before laying over her hands. "I like it too. I enjoy making you feel so good."

Bleach felt a wonderful tingling on her scalp that soon went down her spine and then to her limbs.

"Illumi…" The woman breathed out, not daring to open her eyes.

"Yes?"

"Stop teasing me."

**ATTENTION. MATURE CONTENT STARTS NOW.**

Immeditely, Bleach felt Illumi's left arm encircle her waist and pull her to him until they were both lying on their sides, with her head supported by his right biceps. Automatically, the woman's contact covered eyes opened, only to close again when she felt the assassin's left hand hold her breast as he pinched her hardened nipple gently between his thumb and forefinger.

"Are you sure you want  _me_?"

Bleach bit her bottom lip and shuddered.  _Can his voice get any sexier?_

"What do you think?" The woman snarled/moaned, turning her head so she could glare at the man behind her.

"I think you might prefer if it was someone else doing this to you." Illumi answered, tightening his grip on the woman's breast in an almost painful manner as the picture of a naked Hisoka surged in his mind.

"No. I want you." Bleach spoke before she could think.

The woman's eyes widened at the automatic answer and she couldn't help but hate herself a little at how true it was; she wanted the assassin more than anything. At that moment, Ging was the furthest thing from her mind and she hated herself for it.

But she would have time to wallow in self-hatred later. Right now, Illumi's right hand caressing her neck and his lips by her ear were the sole focus of her attention.

"Prove it." The man demanded, loosening his hold on her breast; he had been very pleased at how immediate her response had been.

The thief didn't think twice; she grabbed Illumi's left hand from breast and pushed it down and bellow her shorts and panties, making Illumi exhale in satisfaction. The wetness his fingers found there was more than enough prove of how much she wanted him.

The assassin wasted no time in retreating his hand a bit so he could undo the front of the woman's shorts and push them down to her knees. His jaw clenched in want when he felt the woman's left hand reach behind her, to the front of his own pants, so she could do the same to him. But not before rubbing her palm teasingly over the clothed bulge that had formed there and earning herself a playful bite on her earlobe.

"Why don't you follow your own advice and stop teasing." Illumi demanded, fighting off a moan as his left hand covered her now unclothed mound.

"B-Because I like it." Bleach answered breathlessly. "You like to p-pretend not to be affected by me, but not t-this." Then, her grip on the assassin's member tightened, making him clench his jaw once again. "This part of you is honest."

"That part of me wants you to undo my pants." Illumi spoke as he inserted two fingers in the woman's opening. "Now."

Bleach moaned at the sudden intrusion before a cocky smirk made its way to her lips. Without a word, her left hand started to undo the front of Illumi's pants as her right went down to cover the assassin's own left hand, as to guide his movements inside of her. The smirk in her lips only widened when she saw Illumi's orbs zero on her right hand, clearly enjoying the sight of her half-hearted attempt at using his hand to pleasure herself.

Once the thief had Illumi's erection free of his pants, she raised her left hand from the area of his crotch to the back of his head, entwining her fingers in his silky hair and pulling his face closer to hers in an awfully intimate position. It was an instinctive action, something that she didn't plan on doing and the need behind it surprised her to no end.

Inside, Illumi was smirking cockily at how quick the woman was coming to care for him. Even if she didn't realize it herself, she was already craving his attentions in more than a sexual way.

Before Illumi could go further with his analysis on Bleach's actions and before she could regret them, the thief was raising her head so she could brush her lips over the assassin's. It was a tender, shy and, most of all, insecure kiss.

In Illumi's head, however, only one word came to mind:  _delicious._

Immediately, the manipulator raised his left hand to hold the woman's head in place as he deepened the kiss. Bleach was quick to respond, tightening her hold on the man's hair to pull him even closer to her.

On the nightstand closest to them, there were a couple of condoms, and six of Illumi's needles. Unknown to Bleach, everything would be used in the next couple of hours.

**MATURE CONTENT ENDS HERE.**

* * *

Illumi watched the woman lying on top of him with a very satisfied smirk on his face. His right hand rose to calmly comb her hair, but not before sparing some moments to caress the yellow ends of the seven of his Nen-needles that were now imbibed in her scalp, hidden by her wavy hair. For his plan to succeed he'd need her full cooperation; he couldn't allow that healing guardian of her protecting her from his Nen so much anymore.

"You will help me get my Killu back home, Bleach."

The thief raised her head slightly so she could frown at him.

"I still think it's not the best way to get him back. But Killua can be very stubborn… It really leaves me no choice." Bleach murmured. "Now, shut up and give me five more minutes to shut my eyes before I go back to him and Gon."

The woman made to drop her head back on the man's chest, but his hand stopped her and softly pulled her face up to his.

"I'll give you fifteen, if you spend them in another way."

When Bleach responded, there was no mistaking the lustful glint in the her eyes, nor the playful smirk on her lips.

"And what way would that be?"

Illumi answered by pulling her lips to his. However, to his utmost annoyance, she pulled back from him almost immediately.

"You sure we can be so relaxed? What if Killua beats Shoot?"

"This Shoot is strong, right?"

Bleach thought about all of the fights between Knuckle and the boys that she had watched. Shoot should be in the same level as Knuckle, in which case…

"Yes. Very much." The woman answered, rolling away so she was lying on her back on the empty space of the bed with her head cushioned by the pillow. "But Killua is pretty smart. With some strategies and a bit of luck, he might manage."

"He won't."

Bleach scowled at Illumi's words. "You underestimate him. Kil-"

Before the thief could continue, Illumi rolled over so he was on top of her, straddling her hips.

"No." He spoke and brushed his lips over hers. " _You_ underestimate  _me_. I know my Killu better than anyone. He won't defeat an opponent stronger than him, because he won't fight them."

Bleach furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, but, before she could ask what he meant by that, Illumi's lips were over hers again, pushing away all forms of coherent thoughts from her mind.

"Fifteen minutes, you said?" Bleach breathe out when Illumi started to grind his pelvis on hers.

"Hmm… I think we can spare some more."

 


	33. Chimera Ants: Wrapped Around Your Finger

Bleach went back to the little apartment she was sharing with Gon, Killua and Palm, only to find the two boys sitting on their respective beds, staring dejectedly at the floor. They had lost their fights.

The woman sighed in a mix of sympathy for the boys' loss and relief at knowing they wouldn't be going back to NGL anytime soon. Then, she walked silently to Killua so she could heal his wounds, which were pretty much superficial and easy to deal with. Then, she moved to heal Gon, only then noticing the Nen cat sitting on the boy's shoulder.

"Gon, what is-"

The words stuck in Bleach's throat at noticing the boy was in Zetsu, a state that, unlike her, he did not favour at all. A state he would only use when in absolute need or-

_If he had no choice… Oh, fuck._

Understanding the situation, Bleach sat down on the bed by the boy and encircled his shoulders with her arm in a comforting gesture.

"How long?" She asked.

"30 days." Gon answered in a miserable whisper.

Bleach nodded and tightened her grip on the boy's shoulders, but her eyes went to Killua's. She knew the former assassin was thinking the same as her:

_We'll protect Gon._

"Ne, Bleach." Gon began in a low voice, getting the woman to lower her gaze to him. "Knuckle said that Netero-san wants you to go with them to NGL. He wants your healing powers."

"No." The thief stated simply. "I don't care what you say about us having to retrieve Kaito, I'm not leaving you in this state. Next time they go, I may tag along, but only if your Nen returns to you."

"But, Ble-"

"This matter is not open to discussion, Gon."

* * *

It wasn't long before the happenings of the day took their toll on Gon and Killua. Bleach had barely left the room for 20 minutes to take a shower and get ready to bed and the two boys were fast asleep.

The woman couldn't help but smile softly, happy that they didn't lose their sleep due to their problems. Insomnia was a sign of growing up and, no matter how adult were the situations those two faced, they still were just boys and she wanted to keep them that way.

_I will to convince Killua to give up this quest and return home, but don't worry, Gon; I will keep you safe, here and in NGL._

Since the beginning, the thief didn't believe she'd be able to get Gon to give up going to NGL, but that was alright; Killua was the one she had to convince. Last night, Illumi had shown her that Killua had no real reason to risk his life fighting those Chimera Ants; he barely knew Kaito. Sure, she herself didn't know much about the Contract Hunter either, but she had nothing else going on for her. The only person she wanted to come back to was Ging and the son-of-a-bitch didn't seem to give a damn if she was dead or alive, but the boy had his family that loved and was waiting for him; she couldn't let him throw his life away like that.

" _Talk to my little brother, Bleach. Show him that this isn't his fight, that he isn't needed by Gon. Make him see that it is his family that needs him. Use your words to weaken his will. Then, you'll beat it into him."_

Illumi's words rang in her head, making the woman bit her lower lip in nervousness. She didn't agree in using force to get Killua back home, but she knew that, if she didn't manage to convince him with words alone, she would do it. She had to keep Killua safe, and Illumi knew how to do it.

_I just need to follow Illumi's instructions. Everything will be alright then._

* * *

On the next day, the trio went to NGL's borders alongside some of Kaito's friends to see Netero's party off. The ride back on the back of the truck was nothing short of utterly depressing.

Gon sat on the floor, hugging his knees tightly to his chest and with his face buried in them. Killua sat by his side on the bench, staring down at him sadly, as if feeling his pain. Bleach sat by Killua, eyes narrowed at the floor as she thought up strategies to convince the boy to give up going to NGL. Then, there was Spinner Clow, one of Kaito's female friends, who seemed completely unaffected by the tense atmosphere surrounding her as she calmly read her book and chewed her gum.

"Killua, I was thinking." Bleach began, getting the former assassin to raise his eyes to her. "Maybe, you shouldn't to go to NGL."

Killua's eyes widened and he opened his mouth to demand an explanation, but Bleach didn't allow a word to leave his lips.

"Hear me out. When they return, Netero's party will have a nice idea of what we're up against. That will allow us to prepare and plan. I have their permission to go with them next time and, if I play my cards right, I'm sure I can convince them to let me take Gon with. I'm sure that I can protect Gon on my own. We'll go in, find Kaito, then I'll bring those back to the border, where you may wait for us. Once that's done, I'll go back to help Netero out, since he'll probably demand that in exchange for his help in finding Kaito and you'll stay with both of them. There is really no need for you to put yourself in risk."

Something flash in the boy's eyes: anger and defeat. He knew she was right and that he should run away, and he was angry with her for pointing it out. Gon was emotional, not logical. He would not back down, so neither could he.

_Still… What if it's all for nothing?_

Bleach saw the doubt in Killua's eyes and couldn't help but beam a little inside. She hadn't managed to convince him to give up, but she had planted a seed of doubt in his mind.

_I just hope it'll be enough to make him give up before those three come back. If not, I'll have to throw in the second part of Illumi's strategy: strength._

A tense and sad silence was installed among the trio and Spinner Clow, one of Kaito's female friends, who seemed completely unaffected by it as she calmly read her book and chewed her gum.

The silence was shattered by Gon jumping up from his crouched position and screaming at the top of his lungs.

"Okay! I've recovered!"

Bleach blinked, unsure if Gon had indeed recovered from his surge of self-pity or if he had finally lost his sanity. When the brunette boy spun towards her, she couldn't help but jump a little on her seat, startled.

"Bleach, there will be no need for that! I'm sure Knuckle and the others will save Kaito! But we must train and become stronger so, when he comes back, he won't be disappointed!"

Again, Bleach blinked at the boy. Then, a big smile stretched on her face.  _That's right. They might just bring Kaito back safe and sound. None of us will have to risk our necks then._

"You're right, Gon. We shouldn't be worrying so much about 'what ifs' and 'whatnots'. Let's just make sure we do our best for now."

Gon's smile was nothing short of dazzling.

"Osu!"

* * *

When they reached their little apartment, where Palm was waiting for them with blood-murder written in her eyes, Bleach witnessed the strangest thing in her life: a bright little boy subdue a horror-movie character as he agreed to go out on a date with her on the following day.

Jaw dropped in shock and horror, she turned her gaze from a beaming and embarrassed Palm to Killua, who was watching the scene between Gon and Palm with the same expression on his face. Sensing the thief's eyes on him, he turned to stare back at her.

" _We're so gonna stalk those two."_  Bleach mouthed silently to the boy.

" _You bet."_

* * *

After that, the trio went to the gym to train. While Gon and Killua lifted weights that would put most bodybuilders to shame, Bleach was doing some abdominal exercises close by.

"Gon, you're amazing." Killua stated suddenly.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Well, listening you talk to Palm… It seemed you're used to this  _date_  stuff." Killua explained. "Hey, have you been in a date before?"

Bleach couldn't help but pause her exercises. That was a question that required her full attention.

"Sure I have."

The thief's jaw dropped at how nonchalant was Gon's answer, and so did Killua's shoulders.

"Well, most of them were with Mito-san."

"That makes sense…" Killua breathed out in relief, before getting anxious again. "Wait! Who else was there?!"

"Well, some of the boats that stopped at Whale Island were full of women and some of them only liked younger men." Gon answered, still in that nonchalant voice. "So I took them around the village and had them teach me things."

At that point, Bleach's jaw hat hit the ground and she felt her blood pressure rise dangerously high. "What kind of things?!"

Gon turned to her with a little smile on his face. "It's a se-cret!"

Before Bleach could insist further on the matter, Killua turned to her. "What about you Bleach? Have you been in dates before?"

"Of course." Bleach answered, thinking back of Harry. "I used to have a boyfriend, you know? Before going to take the Hunter Exam."

Killua's shoulders dropped further.  _First Kaito and now this._ _Again, I'm the only one out of the loop._

The thief smirked at the boy's dejected look as he put down the weight lifting bar he was using. "I take it you've never been on a date, huh?"

"No! Of course not!" Killua answered in a strong voice, as if he was proud of it. "I spent all of my time training as an assassin. And ever since I quit, I've been with you two."

"Really?" Gon asked.

"Really!"

Smirk on her face, Bleach was about to tease the boy further but when she saw the forlorn look on his face she held her tongue. "Killua?"

The former assassin snapped out of his thoughts and lowered his gaze to the woman sitting on the floor and staring up at him with concerned eyes. Before he could come up with an excuse, Gon's cell phone began to ring, making the two white-haired Hunters turn to it as Gon answered the call.

The call gave them the best news she could wait for and Gon made sure to yell it so all could hear.

"I knew it! Kaito is alive!"

* * *

Without excusing herself, Bleach stood up, grabbed her backpack and practically ran out of the gym, not minding that she was only wearing a sports bra and spandex shorts. Once outside and out of Gon and Killua's hearing-range, she retrieved her own phone and called Illumi.

" _Miss me already, love?"_

"I'm in such a good mood that I'm not even going to complain about your cheesy pick-up line." The thief spoke, smiling widely at nothing in particular. "You don't have to worry about Killua's safety anymore; our trip to NGL has just been cancelled. You can let him stay with us now."

" _No."_

Bleach's smile dropped and her eyes widened at the negative. "What? Why?"

" _You two have been with my little brother for longer than a year now. Don't you think it's time for him to come home? To his_ _ **family**_ _?"_

"But he doesn't want to."

" _He's thirteen years old; he doesn't know what he wants. Surely you can remember some bad decisions you made when you were about that age."_

Bleach felt her throat tighten. Of course she could. She was about that age when she started drinking and prostituting herself.

" _You can see my point, right? I need him here with me so I can guide him; I don't want my Killu to make the wrong choices like you did. And I know you don't want it too. Right?"_

A part of Bleach wanted to screech and curse at the assassin. To tell him it was not the same. She had been alone and broken when she made her mistakes, but Killua was in her and Gon's company and completely capable of making his own decisions – hell, the boy was as mature as her!

However, there was a new part of her that agreed with every word that left Illumi's lips and that was resolute to do anything in her power to comply with them.

The second part won as something pulsed in the back of her head.

"O-Of course I don't." Bleach answered in a shaky voice. "I'll help you get him back."

" _Good girl. Oh, and by the way, nice outfit."_

Then, the line went dead.

* * *

On the next day, Bleach and Killua put on the outfit that most covered their hair and faces and went out to the train station, where Gon and Palm would meet up for their date. Gon was there already, waiting in front of the billboard, when the two white-haired Hunters arrived and took a seat on two different benches and pretended to read a magazine each.

When a pretty and colourful girl, with long brown hair arrived and waved at Gon, Bleach furrowed her eyebrows in confusion before her eyes widened in realization.  _No fucking way!_

Yep. That was Palm Siberia.

Automatically, her eyes drifted to Killua, who was staring back at her with the same incredulity written all over his face.

" _What in the fuck?"_  The thief mouthed.

" _Don't ask me. I'm as surprised as you are!"_

* * *

By the end of the day, as Bleach and Killua followed Gon and Palm through the woods, the thief reached a conclusion: if not for his sweet and caring personality, Gon would be a hell of a heart breaker. At the tender age of 13, Gon took Palm on the most elaborated and sweet date she had ever seen; not to mention that the boy had managed to keep Palm interested and excited throughout the whole thing.

_Ging, unlike you, your son has it going on for him._

Once the "couple" stopped walking to sit by the edge of a pound with a lone tree standing in the middle of it, Killua and Bleach felt something close by; something with Nen and a killer intent.

"Killua-" Bleach began in a low whisper. "-you stay here with Gon and Palm. I'll take care of it."

The boy's sapphire eyes widened. "Wh- No way!"

"Don't argue, brat." The thief ordered with a scowl. "I can handle it on my own. There is no need for you to risk yourself."

Before the former assassin could reply, Bleach had disappeared from his side.

Killua's gaze dropped to the grass between his feet and his body began to tremble as he clenched his fists and jaw. He was feeling relieved and angry. Relieved because, instead of having to face a Chimera Ant with his friend, he was out of the hook; a part of him knew that the thing could be stronger than him and told him that he should just run away. But he was also angry because that was not what he wanted; he wanted to be there, helping his friends fight with all he had, no matter how much stronger than him was the enemy.

_**No, Killu. You want to kill weaker targets and move on. You want to be safe.** _

_No! Shut up, Illumi! I want to protect them. Gon and Bleach; my friends. I_ _**need** _ _to protect them!_

Eyes narrowed with renewed determination, Killua disappeared into the shadows.


	34. Chimera Ants: Three-ways

_Once the "couple" stopped walking to sit by the edge of a pound with a lone tree standing in the middle of it, Killua and Bleach felt something close by; something with Nen and a killer intent._

_"Killua-" Bleach began in a low whisper. "-you stay here with Gon and Palm. I'll take care of it."_

_The boy's sapphire eyes widened. "Wh- No way!"_

_"Don't argue, brat." The thief ordered with a scowl. "I can handle it on my own. There is no need for you to risk yourself."_

_Before the former assassin could reply, Bleach had disappeared from his side._

* * *

Bleach ran into the woods until she reached a clearing. She could feel the enemy's Nen coming from behind the bushes right in front of her and she didn't believe in charging mindlessly, especially since Killua was hidden and out of danger so she had time to prepare herself for the upcoming fight instead of worrying about his safety. Instead, she'd let the enemy reveal themselves to her. And it did, sooner rather than later.

"I thought I smelled a human…" The Chimera Ant spoke in sadistic anticipation as it approached slowly. "I remember you. You're one of the kids from before!"

Bleach's eyes widened at realizing just who she'd fight with.  _Ugly-as-fuck Easter bunny wannabe…_

"Looks like your luck ran out. You're about to have a taste from hell!"

Bleach rose a sardonic eyebrow at that.  _Cocky much?_

"Where are the other children? Once you tell me their location, I'll give you an easy death."

"Where are the rest of your clothes? Once you hide that ridiculous thong you're wearing, my eyes will thank you."

The Chimera Ant's eyes narrowed dangerously at the thief's comeback. "You know what? It doesn't matter if you talk or not; they can't be far anyway. I'll give you a hell of pain, then I'll walk around with your severed head making a lot of noise until they show up."

Bleach smirked daringly. "You'll have to find a way to get my head first. Think you can do it?"

* * *

From his hiding spot, Killua watched as Bleach taunted the Chimera Ant with wide eyes, but his jaw and fists were clenched in self-disgust. How could he consider himself a friend to Gon and Bleach when he was there, hiding behind some bushes instead of protecting them?

The answer was simple and obvious: he couldn't. He had to do something.

He  _needed_ to put himself in danger because Gon and she would never think twice before doing the same for him; they were his  _friends_  and deserved his unconditional protection. If he just sat there and let that Chimera Ant threaten them like that, everything would be meaningless. Him taking the Hunter Exam. His promise to his father. Him leaving his home. And everything after - everything he had gone through with Gon and Bleach. It would be for nothing.

And with that, Killua narrowed his eyes in determination and, at the exact moment Bleach jumped back from the Chimera Ant to dodge a kick to the face, Killua jumped in the fight, leaving the bushes to appear right in front to _their_  opponent.

Bleach's eyes easily doubled their size at seeing that and if it didn't go against her recent 'must protect Killua' policy, Bleach would've slapped the boy. Sure, maybe the fight wasn't being as easy as she hoped it would be and maybe that ugly bunny was much stronger than the Chimera Ants they had fought in NGL, but she had it covered! He didn't need to reveal himself to danger!

"Killua! What do you think you're doing?!"

The boy didn't respond and just kept staring right at their smirking opponent with burning blue eyes. Only when Bleach made to grab his shoulder did the ex-assassin move.

He let out a war-cry and attacked the Chimera Ant.

"Killua, NO!"

Eyes wide in despair, Bleach tried to stop him, but Killua was much too fast for her. Before she could blink, he had appeared right in front of the Chimera Ant.

And frozen.

The Chimera Ant was much too lost in its blood-lust to notice the former assassin's suddenly lack of action – not that it would care anyway – but Bleach wasn't and leaped towards the boy, putting her body between him and their opponent. She was much too worried to even remember her weapons existed let alone summon them so, when the Chimera Ant delivered a strong blow to her left side, all she could do was hold Killua protectively and use Shu envelop the boy's body with her Nen and reduce the damage he'd surely receive otherwise.

Both were sent flying due to the impact of the blow, but hey, at least her desperate action worked; Killua was left mostly unscatched.

After both had finally stopped rolling on the ground, Killua quickly sat up, completely unharmed if not for a couple of bruises on his back from rolling on the ground. However, he didn't move from his place; he remained straddling Bleach's waist with his legs and holding his torso up with his arms as his wide blue eyes took in the figure of the woman lying beneath him. Despite wanting nothing more than keep the boy safe in her embrace, Bleach's left arm fell limp to the side with his movement and Killua noticed it was broken, alongside all of her left ribs. She opened her eyes to glare up at the boy and her mouth to scold him, but all that came out was blood. One of her broken ribs – maybe even a couple – had surely perforated her lung.

It was barely a second before Bleach called for Namid and her necklace began to glow and heal her wounds, but the image of blood pouring out of her mouth and the ugly colour of her thrashed left arm had already imprinted themselves on Killua's brain. Alongside that was the imagined vision of a Nen-less Gon being mauled and killed by the Chimera Ant standing right behind him.

Namid had finished healing Bleach's body just in time for the woman to grab Killua and jump back to avoid being stomped by the Chimera Ant's giant left foot. Quickly she pushed the boy behind her and glared up at their opponent with fire in her eyes.

She didn't notice when Killua's body began to tremble and tears started to stream down his face. But she did hear when he began speaking and couldn't help but stare back at him from over her shoulders.

"We're friends…" The boy whispered as if to reassure himself before raising voice, and his gaze. "You're my important friends! You and Gon!"

Bleach's eyes widened at hearing that and she felt a sharp pull on the inside of her skull at hearing Gon's name.

It seemed to come from her whole brain at once.

_Gon… this was about you. Killua and I came here to protect_ _**you.** _ _Actually, everything was supposed to be about you; you are Ging's son. You were supposed to be my top priority. Always and no matter what. Gon-_

_**Killua. You must protect Killua. You must convince him to-** _

_**Get a grip, dumbass! You never cared much about priorities, why start now?** _

_Namid?_

_**Killua or Gon or whatever! You do what you must, when you must. You never set one priority in your whole life – by the way, you could do with a little more organization and planning – you just go along with the flow! And right now the flow demands you to get your lazy carcass off the ground and kick that ugly thing's butt!** _

Now able to directly accesss Bleach's Aura due to the thief finally summoning Namid's powers consciously, the necklace glowed brighter and the woman felt a sensation of freedom and a clarity of mind that she hasn't known for a long time. Illumi was the furthest thing from her brain as she took in her situation with new eyes; eyes that were hers and no one else's. She had to defeat that opponent and she could count on Killua to do so. They both were  _friends_ ; they could and should count on one another.

"Killua…" Bleach began in a serious voice, narrowing her eyes at their opponent in determination. Her necklace was still glowing purple from Namid's power being activated, something that detracted greatly from her stealth but that she would deal with; it was thanks to Namid's power that her mind had become so clear and she wouldn't give that up. "We're destroying that thing. Together."

Behind her, the boy's sapphire eyes widened.

_**Run.** _

And his left hand flew to his forehead.

_No!_

"Killua?" Bleach called in a concerned voice. "Are you alr-"

Before she could finish her sentence, the Chimera Ant took advantage of her moment of distraction and attacked. Bleach was fast enough to block the attack with Ken, however her opponent didn't allow that to discourage him and followed that first attack with a barraged of punches and kicks, cornering Bleach and forcing her to retreat some steps as she fended for herself.

"Ble-!"

_**Now. Run.** _

_No! Shut up, Illumi! I-I can't…_

Killua clenched his eyes shut as his left hand tightened its grip on his forehead.

_**Run.** _

_I_ _**won't.** _ _Gon and Bleach… they are my…_

The boy's eyes snapped open and they were shinning with the purest determination and loyalty.

_They are my precious friends!_

Bleach didn't quite understand what happened. One moment she had her back pressed against a tree and was ready to dodge to the side to avoid one of that obscenely ugly rabbit's punches, the next she was standing on a thick tree-branch with Killua by her side.

"She… disappeared?" The Chimera Ant breathed out from beneath them.

Bleach easily ignored those words and focused her attention solely on the boy standing by her side. His forehead was bleeding, but there was a smile on his face as he stared down at something that was clenched inside his left hand.

"Hahahahaha…" The boy laughed in something akin to lunacy, prompting Bleach to raise a curious eyebrow – and take a discreet step away. "He fooled me good."

"What are you talking about, brat?" The thief demanded, narrowing her eyes so she could try and see what it was that he was holding.

Killua raised his smiling face and opened his hand, revealing a bloodied needle laying harmless on his palm.

"Illumi must've planted this inside my head."

The thief's eyes widened and she felt white-hot rage grow inside her chest at what that implied. How fucking  _dared_  Illumi to do that with Killua?! With anyone, really. That sort of mind-control was beyond low and disgusting, even for that manipulative son of a bitch.

However, going from the carefree smile on Killua's face, it didn't seem like he had the slightest interest in trashing his brother's reputation. The sensation of relief and freedom the boy was feeling at the moment was much to wonderful to be reduced by something as insignificant as Illumi's failed attempt of controlling him.

"Ahhhh! I feel so much better. I'm completely awake now." The former assassin exclaimed as he dried the blood from his forehead on his sleeve. "Or should I say, liberated?"

Unconsciously, Bleach furrowed her eyebrows. She had felt the same thing not too long ago, when she had consciously activated Namid's powers.

"I have a message for the other Ants." Killua continued and, just from the slight darkening of his Aura, the thief knew the boy was giving their opponent that "If you don't do as I say, I'll murder you painfully and at great length and there'll be nothing you can do about it" look. "If you ever come near us again, your lives are over."

The threat worked like a charm; Bleach could almost touch the fear radiating from the Chimera Ant.  _Man, I really gotta learn that look._

However, in a sudden moment of courage –  _stupidity_  –, the Chimera Ant dared to challenge the former assassin.

"That's bulls-!"

The Chimera Ant couldn't even finish screaming its claim. Killua had its head decapitated in less than one millisecond.

With a carefree smile on her lips, Bleach leaped from the tree branch and fell besides Killua in one fluid motion.

"You're fast, brat." The thief praised, widening her smirk when Killua raised his face to smirk back at her. "Faster than my eyes could follow."

"Tsk, that doesn't mean much. Your eyes must be almost useless due to your old age."

Bleach scoffed. "Well, I'm sorry if not all of us are half-cat to see in the dark, kitten."

Killua's teasing smirk was immediately replaced by a very mortified expression as blood flooded his cheeks.

"Don't call me that! I look nothing like a cat!"

"Ha! You should look at yourself in the mirror when the words  _candy_ and  _chocolate_  are said." The woman teased. "I swear I can even see cat-ears grown on your head-meow."

"S-Shut up!"

Taking pity on the boy, Bleach stopped talking and just chuckled at his embarrassed expression. When was the last time she had exchanged "insults" with Killua like that? She honestly couldn't remember.

Telling herself to make up for the lost time, the woman turned around to start walking towards Gon as she allowed herself to deactivate Namid's power.

"Killua." Bleach called with a smile. "Let's go back to Go- AH!"

The thief felt a sharp and agonizing pain - this time coming solely from the back of her head - and dropped to her knees, holding her head in her hands as she howled in pain. Killua ran to her side and called her name, but she didn't respond; she just kept on screaming as Illumi's voice and Nen raged inside her skull.

_**Get. Killua. To come. HOME. No matter what.** _

In a sudden moment of clarity, Bleach's eyes widened and her hands moved to her scalp, where the pain was coming from, and started to scratch the area violently. Sure enough, she felt the round and yellow ends of Illumi's needles protuberating from her skull and she couldn't keep the sudden surge of disgust and hate regarding what that implied.

_Fucking piece of shit! He has been manipulating me the whole fucking time._

"Bleach!"

Killua took hold of the woman's forearms and tried to pull her hands away from her head so she would stop hurting herself. Moments that seemed to take as long as hours passed before the woman's screaming ceased and she finally lowered her hands from her head.

"Blea-"

The former assassin couldn't even finish pronouncing the woman's name before his instincts made him jump back from her. With wide and attentive eyes, Killua watched as Bleach slowly rose to her feet and raised her gaze to him. Her own blood dripped from her fingernails and her eyes were wide and calculating, just like-

_-Aniki's._

"Killua, it's time for you to go home." It was Bleach who was talking; her voice and tone were completely her. But the words weren't. "I don't like it either. I'd much rather have you stay with me and Gon, but it's the best for you. You have a great future as a Zoldyck assassin, but you won't be able to fulfil it if you die in NGL and you have no reason to go to there and risk your life; I'll keep Gon safe. Just go home. Your family misses you deeply. Especially your elder brother."

Killua's eyes narrowed. It was Bleach he was talking to, not his brother posing as her, but the woman in front of him was not in complete control of herself. Somehow, she had fallen under Illumi's influence just like he had. What meant that she also had one pin inside her skull.

_Maybe more. Illumi would have to overcome the power of her healing guardian after all._

The former assassin scanned quickly the area surrounding them, trying to see if he could locate his elder brother but, as expected, it was an useless effort. Illumi wouldn't be found unless he wished to be found.  _But he's here. Of that I'm sure._

A sudden flash of indigo light coming from Bleach's necklace caused Killua to focus his attention on her once again. The thief's whole body was glowing as she fed her Aura to Namid at an alarming speed to keep herself in control.

"Killua! Don't listen to me!" The thief warned as she raised her hands to the back of her head once again. Roughly, she pulled a long and bloodied needle from her skull. "That piece-of-shit brother of yo-"

Both Killua and Bleach's eyes doubled their sizes as a barrage of needles flew towards the back of the woman's head, penetrating her skull easily. For tense moments, both white-haired Hunters stood still, waiting - anticipating - what would happen to her now.

It took some seconds for Illumi's Nen to kick in and act on Bleach's brain, but when it did, the effects were devastating.

The indigo light surrounding Bleach started to glow brighter and brighter as she burned increasingly more Nen as to not allow Illumi to control her. However, even with Namid's power being used at its full potency, she wasn't able to completely win against the assassin's Nen. The woman had managed not to give the Manipulator control of her words and actions, but she hadn't managed to earn it for herself either; all she could do was trash on the ground and scream in pain as Namid and Illumi's Nen fought inside of her head.

It was a cruel vision and, for a moment, Killua wished he could avert his eyes. Illumi was such a cold-blooded man, manipulating and torturing Bleach like that, only so he could manipulate him as well… But this was not the time to allow his thoughts to wander. Bleach was wasting more of her Nen at each second that passed and, if he didn't do something soon, she'd end up killing herself, just like Biske had warned them.

However, before Killua could take a step in the fallen woman's direction, a shadow dropped from one of the trees in front of him, some feet behind Bleach. The former assassin's blue eyes narrowed as they met his elder brother's black ones.

"There's nothing you can do, Killu." Illumi's voice was calm, as if there wasn't a woman screaming in pain right in front of him. "Soon she will exhaust her Nen and faint, when she does, she'll be under my control. There's no way you can fight both of us."

"Bleach won't allow you to control her." The boy stated, clenching his hands into fists by his sides. "She'll kill herself fighting you off."

Illumi's head dropped to the side in curiosity. "Kill herself?"

"Unlike us, she doesn't have a reserve of Nen. She'll burn all of it fighting you."

For a split of a second, Killua imagined he saw his brother's large eyes fall on the woman's form with something akin to concern in them.

But, just like that, it was gone.

"That's not possible. Everyone who learned how to use Ren has a Nen reserve. It's physiological for our bodies to create one." Illumi stated, smiling childishly to his younger brother. "You're trying to trick me, Killu."

Killua scowled but didn't try to convince Illumi otherwise. He didn't have time for that; he had to get Bleach away from his brother, and his needles away from her.

"I told you, didn't I? There's nothing you can do, Killu." Illumi spoke again as if reading his mind. "You can't save her. Bleach is mine now."

Illumi made to take a step towards the agonizing woman, but, before he knew it, she wasn't there anymore. She was across the clearing, thrown over Killua's shoulders as electricity ran all over his little brother's body.

The assassin cocked his head to the side one more time, surprised by his Killu's speed, but before he could comment on it, the boy had ran away from him at the speed of light, leaving him with one last glare and one last word:

"Kanmuru!"

* * *

Seconds later found Killua watching over Gon from a distance with Bleach's unconscious body being held in a clumsy piggy-back style. Lying by his feet were about 20 needles covered by blood.

Truth be told, the former assassin doubted his brother would show himself again so soon; interfering so directly would be like challenging their father's wishes of allowing Killua his shot at experimenting freedom and friendships.

Even so, the former assassin kept Gon under his watching gaze.

One of his friends had almost died because of him already, he didn't want to even risk the other getting hurt as well.


	35. Mine, Mine, Mine

Illumi watched his Killu disappear from his view and take Bleach with him without as much as widening his eyes. But, despite his unaffected expression, the assassin was nothing short of shocked at both his little brother's speed and his pretty puppet's resilience. He had gravely underestimated them and for that he paid the price; he lost both.

_For now._

The oldest of the Zoldyck siblings enjoyed quite a bit of autonomy, however even he couldn't go so directly against his father's wishes as to try and force Killua to return home by himself. He was already in risk of punishment as it was – even though his mother would undoubtedly defend his actions – but so far he could protest and say he had done nothing more than a little persuasion regarding one of his little brother's "friends". Well, thinking back on how the thief had cried out in pain earlier, maybe  _little persuasion_  wasn't the more accurate description of what he had done to Bleach, but his father would take it.

And it wasn't like he had meant to hurt the woman like he did. As the assassin sat high on one of the many tree branches surrounding her and his little Killu, watching the thief trash in pain as she fought his Nen needles, the assassin felt a bit of guilt scratch at him for a moment; causing pain to Bleach wasn't his objective, he only wished to control her.

However, that feeling of almost guilt was weak and short-lived; Illumi would do the necessary to bring his Killu back. And, truth be told, Bleach had brought it upon herself. If she hadn't fought against his Nen like she did, she wouldn't had felt even the tiniest bit of pain.

_Really, why couldn't she just accept my Nen and be done with it? I know better than her what's best for Killu, and even for herself._

But no, she had to fight nail and teeth against his Manipulation and force his hand on the matter. He had used a quite strong version of his Hypnotic Spell on her - seven needles full with his Aura had been lodged in her skull – but still she managed to fight off his influence and even pull out one of said needles from her head. For a second, Illumi hadn't believed what he had seen, but soon his amazement was gone and he quickly took hold of more of his Nen needles.

The assassin hesitated for a the split of a second. He had never used so many needles to control a person without leaving them brain-dead before and he truly didn't wish to end Bleach's life so soon.

But that wasn't the time to hesitate; his little Killu's life was at stake. Letting out a resigned sigh, Illumi threw his needles on the back of the thief's head, hoping that her little Guardian of Cure would be enough to keep her alive. Bleach was-

_-an interesting woman_

_-a satisfying fuck_

_-a skilled thief_

-his puppet. Losing her… would be a real shame.

To his relief, Bleach's brain had been mostly intact despite his many needles interfering with it. To his surprise, she still managed to fight against his control.

However, by then, his attention had refocused on his little Killu and he knew the boy was about to interfere in his Manipulation regarding Bleach. He couldn't allow that. If Killu removed the needles from her head, there wold be nothing more linking the woman to him and the consequences would be equal to those of her death; he'd lose his brand new puppet.

Hence, Illumi did the closest thing to challenging his father's wishes he dared to: he revealed himself to his little brother. There could be no use of force to keep his Killu away from Bleach, but the assassin knew that his little brother was still much too insecure to act so close to him, even if he had succeeded in removing the special needle from his forehead.

It had been his second mistake. Not only was Killu secure enough to take matters in his own hands, but he was also quick enough to do so before Illumi could blink. That new Nen technique –  _Kanmuru_  – filled Illumi with surprise and pride; he didn't expect his little brother to develop such power away from him and his training, but also knew that it would only facilitate the future assassin's jobs.

But, proud or not, the fact remained: the assassin had lost this round. Lost his one chance at recovering his little brother and lost his brand new and, by far, most interesting puppet.

_Maybe not._

Illumi blinked once, then twice.

He was forbidden of interfering with Killua, but he still could get back his other meant-to-be prize. Bleach was proud and independent, but with a lot of persuasion, he just might get her to forgive him. With or without a needle inside her skull, Bleach had desired to have sex with him, she had talked to him, she had confided in him and she had  _kissed_  him.

_It couldn't all have been meaningless to her._

He had a chance at recovering the woman and, therefore, his little Killu. It was slim at best, but it was there.

* * *

Killua watched over an unconscious Bleach with glazed eyes. Gon's, on the other hand, were attentive and kept jumping between his two white-haired friends in concern.

Not three minutes after he and Palm had returned from their date, Killua had arrived in the apartment carrying Bleach's unconscious body in a piggyback style. Gon had been kneeled in the living room, writing gods know how many times "I'm sorry" in sheets of paper when both crossed the front door and his brown eyes widened in surprise and concern. Killua's blue eyes did the same.

"Gon! What are you doing?!"

"Killua! What happened?!"

What happened next was a bit of a blur for the former assassin. One minute Palm was explaining to him how she was punishing Gon for toying with her feelings, on the next he was sprinting out of the room with both the brunette and the thief in his arms to get as far away from the psychotic woman as possible.

And now the three Hunter were in yet another Hotel room. Bleach passed out on the bed, while both boys sat on chairs close by, watching her chest rise and fall with some difficulty.

"Killua, what happened?" Gon asked, deciding that the former assassin needed more of his attention at the moment than the thief.

"Aniki…" Killua whispered. "He had some of his needles inside Bleach's head and was influencing in her decisions. Bleach noticed and fought against it. Then he tried to take over complete control over her. But she wouldn't let him. She wasted her Aura like crazy, using Namid's powers to try and fight Aniki's Nen. It was awful, Gon. I've never seen someone scream like she did."

The brunette boy, always so pacific, couldn't keep his hands from tightening into angry fists. "Since when was your brother doing that to Bleach?"

"I don't know. Maybe since a couple of days ago. Maybe since the Hunter Exam. Or maybe…" Suddenly, the wheels started to turn in Killua's hands. "Maybe since we got separated before Greed Island. Do you remember that Bleach had some  _business_  to take care of?"

"But I thought she was just going to get more weapons. Do you think those business were related to your brother?"

"I think that she might've needed to use my brother to get those weapons." Killua continued. "They would have to spend a long time together, what would surely give Illumi many opportunities to put some needles in her head without her noticing-"

 _Like he did with me_.

"-Then he used her to try and manipulate me. Again, he was trying to control my life."

"Do you think he'll show up again?"

The former assassin didn't answer right away. It was a very important question; its answer would deeply influence their future actions regarding not only the Chimera Ants, but also Bleach. His brother had already shown an interest towards controlling the woman as well as him-

_You can't save her. Bleach is mine now._

-so it would be intuitive to assume that, not only was he nearby, but that he also would try something else and soon. However…

_Father wouldn't like that. At all. He_ _**promised** _ _me a chance to make friends and be faithful to them and he wouldn't stand for any of his children going against his decisions._

But Illumi had already gone against those decisions when he had tried to manipulate Bleach. That was the same as trying to force Killua in acceptance himself.

_Illumi wouldn't see that way and Mother would take his side. They'd say it was nothing more than a bit of supervision on his part. However, if he was to try and do something himself… Father would be furious, and I doubt Illumi would be willing to risk his wrath._

"I think Illumi won't show himself to  _me_  again. But he might try to get Bleach – or even you – under his Manipulation to get to me." Killua finally spoke. "However, as long as we are extra-careful and don't stay alone, I don't think he'll be much of a problem."

"Alright!" Gon agreed in his enthusiastic voice before letting it drop to a serious whisper once again. "Ne, Killua… do you think we should question Bleach about her and Illumi once she wakes up?"

A difficult question once again. But, for this one, Killua knew the answer immediately.

"No. She was a victim to Illumi's Manipulation and nothing more. And she's free of his Nen now. I made sure of it." Killua spoke, staring down at the woman with determined eyes. "If she wants to tell us what happens, great. If she doesn't… I don't need to know what happened between her and my brother to know it wasn't her fault."

"Me neither." Gon agreed with a bright smile. "I trust Bleach! And I trust you!"

Killua immediately blushed at the last comment. "M-Me? What do I have to do with anything?!"

"Well, if you say that Illumi isn't controlling Bleach anymore and that you trust her, I can trust her twice as certainly! You're always right about these things, Killua!"

Killua's pink cheeks were quick to turn red and he was even quicker to turn his face away to hide it from Gon.

_No, Gon… Truth is, when you're with me I can trust myself twice as certainly._

* * *

On the following day, Knov and Palm knocked on the door of the trio's hotel room with the announcement that he'd take them to see Kaito, if Gon wished. Naturally, the brunette accepted the offer with much excitement. Excitement that died as soon as he turned his head to look over his shoulder at Bleach's still unconscious form.

"I really appreciate the offer, Knov-san." The gentle boy said with a small smile. "But I don't want to leave Bleach alone right now. She's too vulnerable."

Knov stared into the room from over Gon's head to access the situation. Indeed, the thief's condition was poor, but she was out of risk.  _Unless whomever did that is still after her._

"Palm can look after her." The black-haired man offered, turning his gaze to the woman sanding at his side. "Right?"

Palm blushed and beamed at the request and promptly agreed.

"Good. Now, get ready you two. We'll be waiting in the lobby."

* * *

In a couple of minutes, both boys had changed their clothes, turned off the room's lights and were ready to leave. However, Gon took one last glance at Bleach and promptly stopped his steps.

"Ne, Killua." Gon called to his friend. "Did Bleach get hurt badly during the fight?"

"Huh?" The former assassin let out, turning his gaze back to his friend. "Not really. Why?"

"Her necklace is glowing a little, see?" The brunette spoke, pointing to the object. "With the lights on I couldn't notice, but now I can see a faint light coming from it. Do you think it's consuming her Aura?"

Killua furrowed his eyebrows and activated Gyo. Sure enough, he could see some of the thief's Aura slipping into the indigo necklace, bit by bit.

"It is." Killua spoke, taking some steps towards the unconscious woman. "I'll take it off."

"I don't know…" Gon answered, pouting in concentration. "Bleach always wears it. Maybe she wouldn't like if we took it off her."

"But it's consuming her Aura, Gon." Killua explained. "And she needs to recover it as fast as possible."

"I know but…"

"What if I leave it right here, on the bedside table? This way, she'll have it close to her and, when she wakes up, she can put it back in a matter of seconds." The former assassin offered as he performed the action. "This way she'll recover faster and have her necklace close to her."

Gon still didn't seem too pleased about taking Namid's necklace from Bleach's neck – his instinct told him it wasn't a good idea – but Killua did have a point and Gon really wanted Bleach to get healthy again, and soon. He hated seeing his friend like that.

"Alright." The brunette agreed. "But leave it in a very noticeable spot."

Killua couldn't help but roll his eyes. "Alright, alright. Now let's go see what those old geezers want."

* * *

And so, Palm stayed in the room to look after Bleach.

The black-haired woman remained seated on the free queen sized bed, sharpening her knives as she murmured words of appreciation towards her Knov-sensei and raised her head to take occasional glances at Bleach's face.

Maybe it was just inside Palm's head, but the thief seemed to grow paler by the second, with the exception of her lips - those were acquiring an unhealthy blue coloration. Her chest seemed to be taking longer to rise as well, and when it did, it was very little. Also, when her chest fell down, a wheezing sound left the woman's parted lips. It seemed she was having a hard time to breath.

Head tilted to the side, Palm stood up from the bed to see what was happening but, before she could take one step towards the unconscious woman, there was a knock at the door that demanded her attention.

"Palm, I need to talk to you."

It was her Knov-sensei's voice and she ran to answer the door. The man wasted no time walking in, leaving Palm to close the door behind him.

"What can I do for you, Kn-"

Before Palm could finish her sentence, darkness enveloped her vision and her body fell forwards, completely limp. The man –  _not_  her Knov-sensei – didn't allow her to hit the ground though; he raised her in his arms and laid her on the free bed.

For a second, Palm managed to force her eyes open and what she saw were the most bottomless black eyes she'd ever see in her life. They were simply hypnotizing.

"Sleep now, Palm Siberia." The man said. "And when you wake up, you won't remember any of this."

She didn't.

* * *

Illumi tilted his head to the side as he stared down at Bleach in open appreciation.

_She looks so deliciously vulnerable lying alone in the middle of such a large bed by herself, with those thick covers tucked beneath her chin. The only problem here is how unhealthy she seems._

Just like Palm, he noticed the unnatural coloration of her skin and difficulty to breath, but, unlike her, he'd have the possibility to find out why.

Automatically, his eyes went to the indigo necklace, which was lying on the bedtable on the right side of the bed. The assassin reached for the jewellery but, instead of putting it around Bleach's neck, where it was meant to be, he raised it to his eyes so he could finally take a good look at it.

For all of its unique and useful powers, Namid's necklace didn't seem much more than a piece of tacky jewellery. He could feel Aura emanating from it but, unlike the scythe they had found and left inside that dark room inside the palace, it was peaceful and warm, not murderously dark. The necklace seemed to wish only to return to its owner and heal her, while the scythe was desperate to murder her.

Eyebrow raised, llumi lowered Namid's necklace closer to Bleach, until it was touching her forehead. The assassin watched with fascination as the woman's breathing improved and her face recovered some of its colour; he watched as her lips slowly turned from that ghostly blue to their desirable red hue.

Then, he raised the necklace away from her and watched with equal interest as, ever so slowly, those lips turned blue again and began to let out those agonizing wheezing sounds that showed just how hard it was for the woman to breath at the moment.

Illumi repeated the motion a few times before finally settling the necklace on the bedside table and seating himself on the bed by the woman's side. Gently, he laid his hand on her cheek as his thumb caressed her blue lips.

Then, with his other hand, the assassin pulled the covers from her chin down to her waist, revealing her neck and struggling thorax to his eyes.

Immediately, a curious eyebrow rose as Illumi's large eyes settled on Bleach's throat; more specifically, on the dark purple markings circling it. He could see an unevenness in the skin, as if something was pressing down on it, as if someone-

_-is choking her._

Lean hands rose to the back of the woman's head and pulled it up. Sure enough, Illumi found that scythe-shaped bruise –  _his_  bruise – still on Bleach's neck and, leaving said bruise, he could see equally dark purple branches stretching around her throat until they closed on the front, right where her windpipe was.

_It's that scythe._

Somehow, during their brief encounter in the palace's Sealed Room, the guardian inside the scythe had managed to infuse some of its Aura inside Bleach 's body, in the form of that small bruise on the back of her neck.

_Just like I did with my needles._

And just like it did with his Nen, the Guardian of Cure fought against the other guardian's Nen, keeping it from harming Bleach like it intended to all along. But now that the necklace had been removed from the thief's neck and her own Aura was mostly depleted, the scythe's guardian was free to finally hurt the woman as it seemed to be desperate to do.

_That just won't do._

The whole point of his coming here was to recover Bleach for his own usage, not to allow some other entity do as it pleased with her. And knowing that things were going the very opposite way he intended, it didn't sit well with the Manipulator. If Illumi was any more expressive, he would be scowling at the moment.

Instead, he kept his face neutral and pulled out three needles.

_We'll see just whose Nen will get a hold of Bleach._

Carefully, Illumi inserted those three needles around the edges of the original bruise on the back of Bleach's neck. Once he was satisfied with them, he started pumping his Aura into her at a steady pace, until he could feel it meet with the blood-lusting Aura that belonged to that revengeful guardian of hers.

The booming voice that assaulted Illumi's mind upon the contact was sudden and strong. It actually made him flinch.

_**And the knight in the shining armour returns to save the little princess. Good. That means I will be granted the pleasure of killing you both.** _

Illumi tensed as he felt a dark and intense Aura that did not belong to him try to invade his mind just as he was invading Bleach's. And with it, Illumi could feel the beginning of what promised to be a lancinating headache grow inside his skull.

_**I will tear you apart inside out.** _

The assassin felt like smirking at the absurdity in that threat. From the mingling of their Nen, Illumi could feel that he was dealing with another Manipulator and the idea of someone – or  _something_  – besting him in that area was simply ridiculous. Maybe, if his opponent had all of that overbearing Aura he had felt inside the palace, it could give the assassin a good challenge. But, with the pathetic reserve of Aura the guardian disposed of at the moment – only what he had managed to seal inside Bleach's body – there was really nothing he could do to win. Illumi held all of the advantages: Aura reserve, closeness to the target and, more important, he had a grand depth of knowledge regarding said target.

_Bleach's mine._

With that in mind, Illumi's Nen surged inside the woman, enveloping and crippling all Aura he found and did not belong to her.

_**Is she now?** _

Just when the assassin thought it was over, a sudden explosion of Nen seemed to take place inside Bleach and expand into him, forcing the air out of his lungs. That parasite was using Bleach's Aura as him own, consuming what little energy she had to corrupt Illumi's own Aura and make its shadows grow on his skin, encircling his throat in a choking grip as it was doing to the unconscious woman.

_**The Chosen One has always been and always will be mine, outlander.** _

Keeping himself completely calm, Illumi reached for the bedside table.

_If that is true, how come you're unable to touch her as long as she has her beloved necklace with her?_

The idea of needing Namid's power to fight off the other guardian somewhat bothered Illumi, but he wasn't above using it. The assassin always did whatever it took to get the job done and this time would be no different. Without hesitating and with surprisingly controlled movements for someone who couldn't breath properly, he grabbed the indigo jewellery and put it around the woman's neck.

It was with great satisfaction that Illumi listened to his opponent roar in hate.

_**YOU MEDDLESOME OUTLANDER! DO YOU HONESTLY BELIEVE NAMID WILL BE ABLE TO KEEP ME, IADBO, FROM MY CHOSEN ONE FOREVER? MARK MY WORDS, BOY: HER HOLD ON ME WILL BREAK ONE DAY AND WHEN IT DOES, THIS WOMAN'S LIFE WILL BE MINE. AND SO WILL BE YOURS!** _

Illumi raised an amused eyebrow at the threat but, other than that, did nothing that betrayed the booming voice raging inside his head. His eyes didn't even widen; they just stared down at the woman sleeping close to him, watching in satisfaction as the dark purple markings slowly retreated from her skin, allowing her face to recover its healthy colouration one final time.

But that was expected. What wasn't expected was how Bleach's eyes suddenly opened wide to stare up at him. Illumi could see she was wearing her ever present brown contacts but what really caught his attention weren't her irises, but the area surrounding them; it was indigo.

_This isn't Bleach._

Never moving her eyes from his, the woman – whomever she may be – sat up and reached behind her neck to slowly pull out the three needles from her flesh.

Illumi didn't try tp stop her. Those needles were useless anyway, only meant to allow him to fight off that Iadbo's Nen. To actually control Bleach again, he'd need oth-

"Don't even think of it, you little punk."

Internally, Illumi scowled. The voice was Bleach's, but the tone and words definitely weren't and it bothered him greatly that someone else was controlling the woman.

"I thank you for returning me to my master, but that doesn't mean I will stand for your shenanigans anymore. The Chosen One almost died both times you used your Nen on her. Now and yesterday, her Aura was almost fully depleted and I won't stand for it to happen a third time."

"Oh! You must be Namid." Illumi spoke with a fake pleasant smile. "It is so interesting to actually meet one of Bleach's little guardians. Still, I can't help but wonder what business you have controlling your master –  _my_ Bleach – like this."

The guardian narrowed Bleach's eyes at him.

"Too much of her Aura was consumed to fight you; it is too low for her to keep her body alive right now. I'm lending her some of mine and, for that, I need to take full control of all of her tissues, including her brain." It spoke using Bleach's voice. "It is a good thing you're not capable enough to defeat Iadbo on your own. If you had played your little games for a few more moments, he'd have used all of the little Aura she had managed to recover since she last fought you and, without my help, she'd be dead by now."

As he forced himself to keep the smile on his face, Illumi decided that he truly disliked that Guardian of Cure.

"Now leave, punk. I tire of your presence." Namid ordered, standing from the bed through the other side to stretch her body.

"Are you sure you should be giving Bleach's back to me?"

There was no mistaking the threatening tone in the assassin's voice, but Namid remained completely unaffected. And she made sure to show it by giving him a bored look from over Bleach's shoulder.

"I have over 500 years of experience fighting things much stronger than you humans, and the body of a very fit 20 year old. You won't be able to catch me unaware." It spoke in that arrogant voice that Bleach loved to tease him with. "Also, do not mistake my powers of cure for incapacity to harm. Those abilities are based on my capacity to manipulate tissues and Nen. And I can do that in many different ways, to  _anyone_."

There was also no mistaking the promise in Namid's words. But, even so, she made herself even clearer.

"You try anything against  _my_  Chosen One and I come for you, punk. She is already a reckless dumbass, prone to do risky and stupid things by herself. She doesn't need you to bring even more harm upon her body and mind."

The fake smile left Illumi's face as he stood up so he could fully face the guardian using  _his_ Bleach's body as a vessel.

Both Manipulators stared into each other's eyes with clear distaste. Both claimed ownership over the vulnerable thief; the difference was that one would hold control over her for a few hours, while the other wished to do so until he grew tired of her.

Without a word, Illumi turned around and walked to the room's door. But, before he walked through it, he spoke some last words to that meddlesome Guardian of Cure.

"I hope next time we see each other, you'll be nicely locked inside that tacky necklace, where you belong."

The assassin didn't need to look to know he was being glared at hatefully.

"There may not be a next time." The thing spoke with Bleach's voice and Illumi just couldn't help but look over his shoulder to give it a taunting smirk.

"Oh, I think we both know there will be a next time. As long as Bleach keeps herself in the company of my little Killu, we're bound to cross paths again. And, next time, I just might not let her go. Under my Manipulation or not, she is a most…  _satisfying_ consort. Keeping her at reaching distance really isn't such a bad idea."

Then, he left.

* * *

It had been a long time since Namid felt such disgust towards another living being.

_What in the world possessed this dumbass to… indulge, with such a vile man?_

It took Namid all of her willpower not to lash out at the assassin due to his last comment, but she managed to hold back, if only for Bleach. Despite all of her bragging, the Guardian of Cure would take a grand risk if she was to fight against the assassin. Both her and Bleach had close to zero Aura left due to their encounters with Illumi and Iadbo. They needed to focus on recovering their energy not waste it on yet another pointless fight.

With that in mind, Namid checked on the other dumbass woman whose only job was to make sure Bleach rested safe to see if she was alright. Satisfied at finding she had no wounds that needed her attention, the guardian turned around to lay down on the unoccupied bed. Once in position, she closed her eyes and took deep breaths, making Bleach's body relax and enter a meditative estate; a couple of hours like this should allow Bleach to recover enough Aura to be able to maintain herself alive – even if unable to regain consciousness just yet - without anymore of her support.

_**Namid…?** _

The Guardian of Cure knew that meditation was a great tool to strengthen her mental bond with the Chosen One, but never imagined Bleach would manage to talk to her so quickly.

_Be quiet, dumbass. Just rest for now._

_**I saw Iadbo.** _

_I know you did._

_**He… he really wants to kill me. And he's... Fuck. He's inside me.** _

The woman was scared, and she had reason to be. But Namid wan't going to tell her that.

_Don't worry. As long as I'm with you, you'll be safe. Unlike you, I'm not a weakling incapable of keeping that shadow in its place._

Namid heard Bleach chuckle weakly and couldn't help but smile in relieve. She'd be just fine.

_**Good thing you're useful for something. Makes it worth keeping you around.** _

_Dumbass?_

_**Yes, Ointment?** _

_Just shut up and rest. Unless you want me to control your body forever._

… _ **Always nice talking to you, Namid, but I gotta go. Good night.**_


	36. Tug Of War

When Bleach woke up, two days later, she was back in her body, lying on a bed, but didn't really have the strength to open her eyes and move. For some minutes, she just laid there, seemingly asleep, as she heard and felt what was going on in the room and concentrated her forces on properly waking up and regaining vontrol over her body. The only thing going through her mind was murdering that manipulative son of a bitch that went by the name of Illumi.

However, when she felt and heard Gon and Killua in the room with her, sitting side by side on the free bed at her left as they chatted excitedly about candy, every thought and ill intend regarding the assassin was pushed into oblivion, for the moment.

There was something wrong with Gon. Something extremely wrong.

Bleach maybe wasn't as good as Killua and Illumi in reading people, but she was no amateur either. Years of being forced to work under the Mafia practically forced her to learn how to read people; it was a matter of survival, really. And the experience she received during all of those years of having to tip-toe around her boss and unstable Nen-users screamed at her that Gon was on the brink of committing murder.

And she had a pretty good hunch as to why.

"What happened to Kaito?"

Both boys startled at hearing the thief's question and quickly turned their gazes to the woman who was struggling to keep her eyes open. Gon was the first to appear by her side, helping her sit up on the bed with a warm and happy smile on his face.

"Bleach! I'm so happy you're better already!" The brunette boy exclaimed excitedly. "Killua told me what happened. You were truly amazing, standing up against Illumi like that!"

The woman couldn't keep herself from blushing in a mix of embarrassment and shame.

"Gon, I did no such thing." She spoke in a low voice, lowering her gaze from Gon's bright and trusting eyes as if they were physically assaulting her. "On the contrary, I let that fuc- that bastard manipulate me like a damn puppet. I put your safety on second plan and tried to emotionally blackmail Killua in doing something he didn't want to without even realizing it. I was careless and stupid, and you two almost had to pay the price for it. I'm pathetic."

"Don't be daft." Killua drawled, crossing his arms behind his head. "We got out completely unharmed while you almost died facing Aniki." Then, it was the former assassin's turn to lower a shameful gaze to the ground. "If anyone's to blame it should be me. I'm the reason Illumi did what he did to you."

Bleach's eyes widened in shock. Never had she imagined that Killua would blame himself for  _her_  mistakes.

"Also-" Killua continued. "-you're not pathetic. Not only you're still fully functional after having Illumi's Nen frying your brain, but you fought and won against his Manipulation. No one did that before."

"That doesn't mean shit, Killua!" Bleach spat out, clenching the blanket tightly in her fists. "That doesn't change the fact that I put you two in danger!"

"No." The former assassin agreed, blue eyes raising to the woman's downcast face. "But the fact that you almost killed yourself to keep us safe does. It means everything. It  _changes_ everything."

Immediately Bleach's face shot up, allowing the woman to fix her wide eyes on Killua's sapphire orbs before turning to gaze to Gon's brown ones. Both set of eyes stared back at her with the utmost reassurance and trust.

The thief couldn't help but laugh at the enormous relief that flooded into her.

_I thought I had certainly lost you two._

"We're friends, Bleach." Gon started to speak in a soft voice. "Remember what we told you in York Shin, when we were running away from Nobunaga?"

She smiled. "How could I ever forget?"

* * *

_...I'm sorry, Gon, Killua."_

_Bleach shut her eyes. There, she had said it. Now, all she had to do was wait for the boys to express their disappointment with her and leave once and for all._

_"Sorry? What for?" Gon asked innocently, making Bleach raise her wide eyes to him. "You've never hurt anyone, have you Bleach?"_

_"I-I killed a man, Gon! I killed Cressar!"_

_"You killed him to run away from the Mafia, who had kidnapped you and forced you to do things you didn't want to. I don't believe you were wrong in doing that. And I don't care if you pickpocket wallets and products from stores!" Gon smiled brightly at the girl. "You're my friend and I trust you, Bleach! I know you will never steal from me!"_

_"Gon…"_

_"You stole some things, so what?" Killua put in. "I killed lots of people in the past and Gon still accepted me._ _You_ _still accepted me, Bleach."_

_"Killua…"_

_"We're friends." The former assassin said at last. "That's not changing anytime soon."_

* * *

"Then don't make us repeat ourselves." Killua put in, pretending to be annoyed. "You and I can play the guilt game for hours on a row, but ultimately the only one to blame for everything is Aniki. We're together on this and that's all that matters."

Bleach's smile grew even more but rather of dwelling deeper in the emotional conversation – which made both her and Killua deeply uncomfortable - she opted for changing the subject for something even more pressing.

"Well, you shouldn't make me repeat myself either, brat. I asked once but - since you both ignored my question - I will do so again: what happened to Kaito?"

To the thief's surprise, there was no sadness or tension in the air when the question left her lips. Instead of wallowing in misery and anger as she expected, Gon just got a serious and determined look on his face and stated with the most neutral voice she had ever heard from him. His usually bright brown eyes, however, were dark and murderous.

"Kaito is being controlled by the enemy. But I'll free him. Even if I have to kill that thing."

Bleach had never been more scared  _for_  Gon before.

* * *

However, that concern was put in second plan as soon as the thief had some time to herself.

Immersed in a bubble bath with her cell phone and a half-eaten chocolate bar standing innocently on a small wooden bench by her side, Bleach's thoughts couldn't help but drift back to the origin to her most recent problems.

_That fucking piece of shit. How could he?_

Maybe it was due to Illumi not being someone prone to judge others, maybe it was because she couldn't have cared less about his opinion about her, maybe it was due to the weird and twisted attraction that had developed between them or just because the Manipulator knew exactly what to say to get her going… The reasons didn't matter, but the consequence did: during their trip to the palace, Bleach found herself starting to trust in the assassin. She had talked to him, confided in him, had sex with him and even  _kissed_  him.

On those short days, the woman had trusted the assassin with her feelings, body and past. Granted, much of that trust had been struggled from herself through manipulative words and actions, but still she had shown him parts of herself that she hadn't dared showing anyone else since Ging. And he had used it all against her.

* * *

" _He's thirteen years old; he doesn't know what he wants. Surely you can remember some bad decisions you made when you were about that age."_

_Bleach felt her throat tighten. Of course she could. She was about that age when she started drinking and prostituting herself._

* * *

Bleach felt her blood pressure skyrocket at the sudden fury she felt remembering those words. How could he use her past against her like that? She already shamed herself for her past mistakes enough as it was and he knew it. But, even so, he used that piece of information without hesitating, easily humiliating her just so he could get what he wanted.

_Disgusting pig._

In the end, Illumi was just like Cressar, using her – body and mind – any way he pleased without giving a second thought to what she wanted or felt.

_I hate you._

And yet, he had saved her life.

* * *

_After passing out in Killua's arms, Bleach found herself feeling warm, weightless and without pain, floating in one of the many indigo coloured pounds that were present in Namid's personal little world._

" _Namid?" The woman called in a low voice, allowing herself to just keep floating._

" _ **You're such a dumbass!"**_ _The Guardian's voice echoed from everywhere._ _ **"How could you fall for such a, a… a disgusting pig! Look what he did to you, idiot!"**_

_Despite the scolding, Bleach smiled. It was wonderful to hear Namid's voice again._

" _Thank you for saving me."_

" _ **Of course I saved you! You're**_ _ **my**_ _ **Chosen One and no one will hurt you as long as I can prevent it."**_

" _Why am I here?"_

" _ **You spent too much Aura to use my powers and fight off that bastard's Nen. Now you're too weak to keep yourself alive as it is, so I'm using my Nen to provide for your body and keeping your conscious here in my dimension while it recovers from the fight. Don't worry; I'll return your body to you as soon as it recovers enough Aura for you to survive on your own."**_

" _I'm not worried. I trust you."_

_If Namid had bothered to produce a physical manifestation as she talked to Bleach, her large indigo eyes would be wide and her cheeks would be burning. Her Chosen One, that woman whom had experienced so much abuse and pain at the hands of others throughout her whole life, trusted her absolutely and unconditionally. It made the Guardian of Cure feel warm inside and she wished nothing more than pain and death to herself if she ever broke that trust._

" _ **Yada, yada, yada. Shut up and sleep, dumbass."**_

_Of course, Namid would never say that; Bleach didn't need to become even more sure of herself. The woman already risked her life enough as it was._

* * *

_Bleach felt when, a couple of hours later, Namid's Nen suddenly left her person and immediately knew that someone had taken her necklace from her body._

_At once, that feeling of peace and safety suddenly disappeared and Bleach found herself plummeting down a black and cold abyss at an alarming speed. No matter how many times the thief called Namid and the other guardians' names, she heard nothing but the wind rushing by her ears._

_Minutes seemed to pass her by before Bleach finally saw hope in receiving closure from that seemingly endless freefall. It was still much far below her, but she could see a platform glowing a dark purple colour, promising to give her the ground she needed to recompose herself._

_However, before her feet could reach the platform, something halted the woman's freefall. A purple rope, wrapped around her neck._

_After the fright and instantaneous agony that came with the violent trot of the rope pulling her still by the throat had passed, Bleach quickly raised her hands to pull on the cord, pulling it open as much as she could. She needed to breath._

" _ **There is no use."**_

_Bleach's eyes narrowed as a figure started to float her way through the darkness. It was humanoid, male. Tall and lean with leathery wings and pitch black skin and bright purple eyes. His lower body was protected by a dark purple armour that seemed to be made of a strange sort of ivory. His upper body was bare if not for a pair of matching gauntlets that reached up to the creature's elbows and ended with long and sharp claws in place of fingers. The face was covered by a large and sharp mask, made of that same purple ivory; it had two long horns that stretched behind him, following the curvature of his spine and ending on the end of his lower back._

_The creature gave Bleach a predatory smile, showing long and white fangs as a chain started to grow from its chest, making its way to Bleach's heart at a very slow but foreboding pace._

" _ **I have been waiting this moment for so long, Chosen One. For the chance to synchronize our souls without that meddlesome midget interfering.**_ **Soon, when the chain finally connects our hearts once again, you shall be mine. _"_**

_Bleach's eyes widened as bone-chilling fear grew inside her chest. "Iadbo…"_

" _ **The one and only."**_

_Then, the Guardian of Darkness stretched his clawed hands, grabbed the end of the rope encircling Bleach's neck, and pulled._

" _ **And the last being you will ever see."**_

* * *

_The suffocating tug-of-war that began between Bleach and Iadbo was a true battle of wills. The Guardian pulled the rope, trying to tighten its hold around the woman's throat while she pulled on her murderous necklace, trying to keep it from closing her windpipe completely._

_Meanwhile, the chain continued to grow between them and Bleach knew that, when they connected, she would be done for._ _However, she wasn't even sure she'd manage to last that long; breathing was becoming harder by the second._

_Just when the woman was about to lose consciousness, Iadbo suddenly loosened his hold on the rope, allowing the woman to take in desperate gulps of air in her lungs._

" _ **Looks like you beloved saviour has come to save you from me once again. That meddlesome outsider."**_

_Bleach frowned. There was only one "outsider"whom had saved her life from Iadbo and there was just no way he was there to save her again._

" _ **But do not fret, my Chosen One. I will deal with that outsider soon. Then, I will be all yours one final time."**_

* * *

_Bleach felt Illumi's Nen fighting Iadbo's and, to her surprise, felt how clear was the latter's victory. Iadbo's Nen spread like a shadow, corrupting both her and Illumi's Aura and using it to fuel his own power._

_However, to her utmost surprise, she felt Namid's Nen invade her once again, enveloping her body, mind and soul in a warm indigo light that was completely impervious to Iadbo's power._

_Illumi had returned her necklace to her and saved her life, at the same time he killed his chances of manipulating her with his Nen again._

* * *

"It doesn't mean shit." Bleach whispered to herself, dropping her head back on the tub. "I still hate him."

On the bench, her phone buzzed with a text and automatically she reached for it. It was from Illumi.

_I hope you're well._

The woman shut her eyes. Slowly, she raised her knees to her chest and put her hands on her head, one pulling on her hair while the other tightened her grip on the piece of technology and pressed it to her temple.

"It doesn't mean shit. I still hate him."

* * *

For days, Bleach did all she could to ignore any and every emotion and thought that involved the man that had betrayed her trust so easily.

It would've been easy, if not for his constant messages that reached her through her cell phone. Messages that, she felt somewhere inside her chest, held truth to them. No matter how many times the woman remembered how Illumi had used her like a puppet, a small part of her – _stupid as fuck part -_ still believed in every word he sent her.

_I never lied to you._

_Your secrets are safe with me._

_I never wished to harm you._

_Everything that happened between us was true._

_I miss you._

Sometimes she missed him too, especially at night. But it was getting better. Every moment she spent with Gon and Killua or training her Manipulation Nen under Namid's orientation -  _n_ _ext time you two come for me, I'll be ready -_ was a step away from the memories she shared with Illumi.

Sooner than she expected, Bleach found herself feeling "normal" again. Thinking about Illumi and what he did to her still angered the thief to no end, but didn't hurt anymore. She could once again think about the assassin in a rational way.

And that was why, when she received a message asking her to meet him for lunch if she wanted to know something that would undoubtedly be useful to keep Gon and Killua safe, she knew he was planning something once again.

* * *

Three days after receiving the message, early in the morning, Bleach left her room for a walk around town. She was so nervous and uneasy that she couldn't help but wake up early and since she had nothing planned to do with Gon or Killua, she found it would be nice to get out of the room a little and enjoy some time by herself. Also, there were quite a lot of rich people in the city for her to steal from.

And she had a "date" she was wholeheartedly dreading.

By noon, the thief had her backpack full of wallets and jewellery and decided it was a good time to get lunch; she still had one hour until it was time to meet with Illumi so she could enjoy her food in peace.

* * *

In a matter of minutes, the woman found herself sitting at a table on the outside of the café they had agreed upon meeting, eating some sandwiches and drinking a latte as she watched her potential targets walk by. As she sipped her latte, Bleach had a warm smile on her face; she hadn't felt this free for a long time. It was definitely nice having only herself in her brain again.

"Is this seat taken?"

The smile dropped and her body tensed as soon as those words were whispered in her ear. Instinctively, the thief summoned Runvle's mirror in her free hand and enveloped her body with a light, orange-tinted layer of diamond-hard Aura. Not so instinctively, she shivered in a sick form of delight as memories of all the times she heard that voice whispering in her ears promises of pleasure suddenly returned to her brain.

"Why the fuck are you so early?" The woman spoke through clenched teeth, not daring to turn around to face the dark voids that would undoubtedly be staring back at her. "You know what? Fuck it. Just sit the fuck down and start talking."

The person pulled the chair in front of her and sat down. Bleach found herself looking at the face of a handsome blonde man she had never seen before, if not for the eyes. They were large, pitch-black, intense and completely calculating.

"There's no need to be so distrustful." The man said in a calm voice, with a bored look in his borrowed face. "I just wish to talk."

"I've heard that shit before." Bleach spat out, glare burning hotter by the second. "And found myself with who knows how many needles in my skull and a manipulative son of a bitch's Nen in my brain. Now get a hint and just explain why you invited me here. Different face or not, I don't want to spend more time than absolutely necessary with you,  _Illumi_."

"I have information about the workings in the Republic of East Gorteau that will undoubtedly help you to navigate through the country."

Bleach's eyes narrowed even more in suspicion. Without moving her eyes from Illumi's or letting Runvle's mirror dematerialize, she slowly raised her latte to her lips again.

"I kind of figured that already, shithead. What I wish to know is what kind of information do you have to offer me?"

The predatory smile that Illumi gave her was more than enough to put an end to that wonderful sensation of freedom from a few minutes ago. Suddenly, Bleach felt as nothing more than a bird inside a cage.

* * *

Despite taunting Bleach with that promise of information, Illumi spoke absolutely nothing about the Republic of East Gorteau. For a long time, he pulled the woman into the most pointless conversations, trying to get her to relax in his presence and, once again, become open to his Manipulation; be it through Nen or words.

Unfortunately for the assassin, the thief had all of her walls up and was in high alert, paying double attention to anything he said or did. Proof of that was the fact that not for one second did she inactivate the power of Runvle's mirror.

Once burned, twice shy.

Although he didn't show, Illumi was deeply annoyed by Bleach's cool demeanour. In their previous encounters, the woman had proved time and time again that she was in her essence an impulsive person, prone to losing control of her emotions and temper, and he had counted on that to deal with her; had counted on her lingering feelings for him to manipulate her. But, once again, she did the complete opposite of what he expected. Sure, he could see the anger and betrayal swimming in her glaring eyes – contacts or not, they always showed him exactly what the woman was feeling – but, other than that, the thief was in complete control of herself. She hated him and she hated his game; but she could easily put her pride aside and play it with him. As long as he promised her a valuable reward.

_Just like that first night in the palace. The little thief is capable of absolutely anything to get what she wants._

That trait was both extremely satisfying and bothersome.

Illumi truly appreciated how tenacious the woman could be, sacrificing anything from herself to get what she wanted. In a way, she was like him whom resigned his opinions, personality, desire and face to fulfil his jobs; no matter what it cost, both of them would pay the price to achieve their goals.

On the other hand, it was remarkable difficult to manipulate someone whom had simply accepted to pay said price. In this estate, Bleach knew she couldn't expect fairness or even truthfulness from him and she was ready to endure it. At each second that passed, instead of letting her guard down bit by bit, she was building sturdier walls – physically and mentally – against him. Her eyes showed it.

It was then that Illumi understood; whatever groundwork he had managed to build with her emotions during their trip to the palace had been lost the moment she found out he was controlling her. As a true egocentric, Bleach put her interests above anyone else's and what she yearned for the most had always been freedom to do as she pleased. Taking said liberty was the worst violation Illumi could've ever committed against her. And the fact that not only did she find out about it but also recovered from his "betrayal" on her own, without allowing him the chance to persuade her into forgiving him, made it practically impossible for the Manipulator to keep her as his little puppet. For that, he'd have to earn her trust back and work his way to the top. Again. And it would be even harder than the first time.

However, Illumi didn't have the time to invest on recovering Bleach's trust right now; he knew that his Killu was weeks – maybe days – away from infiltrating an isolated country filled with blood-lusting and Aura-charged mutant creatures ready to bite off his pretty white-haired head at any given chance. He needed to get him back home. Now.

Fortunately for the assassin, there was a shortcut into manipulating the woman: sex. Maybe he wouldn't be able to turn the woman's feelings in his favour –  _yet_  – but the attraction she felt for him was still present, of that he was sure, and many times animal instinct thrived over rational intelligence.

But even so he'd have to be careful when dealing with the thief. No matter how much pleasure he had given and promised her, she had still grown up to be wary of men and their sexual advances. With all that she went through, it was a miracle altogether that not only she allowed men to touch her but also searched their company. Illumi doubted many women would have the courage to do so if they had experienced what Bleach did.

_Stubborn, stubborn woman._

And indeed, Bleach was very stubborn regarding just about anything, especially people she didn't like. She trusted her instincts and, ever since the beginning, they had told her not to trust the assassin but, despite the internal warning, she allowed herself to drop her guard around him. And that resulted in him manipulating her to harm her friends and almost killing her in the process. More than a first impression, the thief now had  _experience_  about just how obstinate and cold-hearted Illumi could be. She wouldn't make the same mistake twice.

And Illumi knew that too, but she was his only chance of recovering his Killu before he went and got himself killed. And he would take that chance.

* * *

"Well, I guess I should give up on the pleasantries, since you most obviously aren't very inclined to behave in an agreeable or even polite manner."

Bleach deadpanned. "No shit."

"But I don't enjoy talking business in such a public place. Too many prying ears." The assassin stated in a conversational tone as he stood up from the table. "If you'd follow me to my hotel, we could discuss an exchange."

"Exchange?" The thief echoed, narrowing her eyes suspiciously at the man.

"Naturally, you didn't think I'd just give away the information I have." Illumi spoke, offering his hand to the woman. "Come. I'm sure we'll be able to come up with a reasonable deal."

Bleach's contacts covered eyes darted from the man's black orbs to his outstretched hand and back as every possible scenario that could come from being alone in a bedroom with Illumi for an undefined amount of time, talking about undefined deals and doing undefined things. She scowled at finding that her rotten mind came up with many scenarios that involved getting hot and heavy with the assassin and almost growled when all of said scenes ended with her following his every order and fulfilling his every desire.

She'd rather kill herself than allow that to happen. But…

_But if he has information that could keep Gon and Killua alive, the least I can do is check it out._

"Fine. I'll fucking come with you." Bleach agreed, completely ignoring the offered hand as she pushed away from the table. "But we're not going to your room - who knows what fucking traps you laid out for me there? There's a motel not three blocks from here; we'll get a room there for some hours."

"Fair enough." Illumi conceded, moving so he could encircle the woman's waist with his arm.

As expected, Bleach all but flied away from him.

"I want you to keep your fucking distance from me, you pervert. Not less than three meters. Also, you're walking in front of me so I can watch your movements. Now, get going you piece-of-shit."

The assassin internally rolled his eyes, but did as Bleach demanded without a complaint. By agreeing to put herself in closed quarters with him, the woman had unknowingly given him exact what he had come for: a new chance of manipulating Killua.

It was his last one and he'd make the most of it.

* * *

From many metres away and above, Killua watched the exchange with attentive eyes.

_We knew you'd try something else, Aniki._

* * *

The night before.

_Killua had just entered the bathroom he shared with Gon and was about to undo the front of his shorts to use the toilet when a hand closed over his mouth and pulled him back onto a pliable chest. He tensed himself, ready to attack immediately._

" _Relax, brat. It's just me."_

_Killua felt his body relax at hearing Bleach's whisper before tensing up all over again at realizing that she had been seconds away of seeing him without his pants, and that his head was being cushioned by nothing less than her breasts._

" _What are you doing here?!" The now blushing former assassin demanded in a sharp whisper, quickly pulling away from the woman's hold… and upper private area. "You're such a pervert."_

_The thief didn't bother to answer the boy's demand or respond to his insult; she just went straight to the subject that interested her:_

" _I didn't say anything because I didn't want to worry Gon but, while you two were taken to see Kaito, Illumi showed up in the room to try and get me under his influence again. He obviously failed, but I don't think he has given up just yet. I know you said it was unlikely for him to go against your father again, but he's been sending me text messages. On the last one, he asked to meet me for lunch in exchange for some kind of useful information. He might not have clearance to approach you directly, but that doesn't mean he won't try to stop you through other means." The thief spoke quickly, as if she was pulling out a band-aid. "I'm not that worried about he coming for me; I won't give him another chance of putting anymore of his fucking needles inside my head without me realizing it. But-"_

" _But you still worry about him overpowering you physically and forcing those needles in anyway so he can use you to get to me."_

_Serious, Bleach nodded. "Yes."_

" _Aniki is already putting himself in jeopardy with my father as it is. Do you really think he'll try again just to keep me from going to fight the Chimera Ants?"_

" _I don't know. You know him better than I do. What do you think?"_

_The former assassin spent long moments in silence, thinking about the possibility._

" _I think… we can use this to our advantage."_

" _What do you mean?" Bleach asked in an excited whisper._

" _Grandpa once infiltrated the Republic of East Gorteau years ago, so he has a good knowledge about the workings of the country. Knowledge that he trusted Father and Aniki."_

" _And you think that information is what Illumi is offering me in exchange of meeting up with him."_

" _Yes."_

" _Can't we check that on the Hunters' website?"_

" _We can, but I'm sure Aniki knows more than what is in the internet. Also, if he does try anything again, it'll be his last shot. Not only he's already pushing Father's leniency, he also has to do jobs at his regular frequency – they have a sort of quid-pro-quo relationship. If we manage to frustrate his final attempt, he'll have no choice but to return home completely empty-handed and leave us alone so we can rest at ease that he won't come back."_

_Bleach smirked; she liked Killua's current train of thought. "Two birds with one stone."_

" _Yes." The boy confirmed, mirroring her smirk for a moment before getting serious again. "But we still need a plan."_

"… _I might have an idea."_

* * *

With his silent steps and using Zetsu, Killua entered one of the motel's rooms through the window. On the room next to his, he heard a door opening and then slamming shut.

" _We're in private now."_ There was no mistaking Bleach's demanding voice.  _"Get on with it."_

When his brother began to speak, Killua's attention doubled. Sure, he could hear every word clearly through the microphone Bleach had implanted inside on of her molasses, but he still wouldn't risk missing a single word.

" _Always so direct. Relax a little. After all, it has been so long since we've last been together; let's take our time."_

Killua scowled in disgust at the flirtatious tone in his Aniki's voice but still forced himself to listen to the rest of the conversation. At each word that was said, his scowl deepened.

_Adults are disgusting._


	37. Turning Tables

Despite having Runvle’s protective barrier enveloping her body, Bleach could swear she felt Illumi’s body heat sweeping into her pores. The assassin had returned to his original form and cornered her close to the queen-sized bed so she couldn’t take any step back unless she was willing to let herself fall on the bed. He was standing right in front of the woman, forcing her to raise her head to look into his black eyes. Eyes that seemed to burn with a desire so intense that it was almost as good as physical contact itself.

“We’re in private now.” The thief spat out, willing her body to get a grip of itself. “Get on with it.”

“Always so direct. Relax a little. After all, it has been so long since we’ve last been together; let’s take our time.” The man replied and rotated his body, allowing it to fall back on the bed by the woman’s side. “Come here. I can help you to relax.”

Bleach scowled and turned her face away from the assassin as not to let him see her blush. It wasn’t because his flirtatious offer that embarrassed her, it truly wasn’t. What _shamed_ her was the fact that Killua was listening to everything through the wall right by her side and the small microphone she had implanted inside one of her molasses. Sure, she had ended up vaguely explaining to the boy the nature of her and Illumi’s… “relationship” – a talk both of them wished to erase from their minds – but it was still humiliating to have one of the boys being present (even if only listening) to her adult activities. Especially when they involved a man with morals so low, he could trip on them.

“Quit it, you pervert.” Bleach demanded, taking a couple of steps away from the bed before turning to face the assassin once again.

Words failed her when she found the man already shirtless and laying back on the mattress in the most inviting position. _So fucking hot._

“Why should I?” The man asked in a husky tone. “You clearly enjoy what I can do to you. And you know just how much I enjoy pleasing you.”

On that small moment, Bleach felt very tempted to just say “fuck it” and attack the man on the bed. She could get some pleasure on the side before getting down to business and yes, she remembered _very well_ how he enjoyed pleasing her. Again and again.

_Killua! Remember that Killua is right there on the other room! You don’t want to traumatize the boy and ruin sex for him, do you?! You’re already fucked up enough for both of you!_

“Well, I’d enjoy more if you cut the bullshit and went straight to the point. What the fuck do I have to do for you to tell me what you know about the Republic of East Gorteau? Oh, wait! Let me guess: get on my hands and knees. That was your personal favourite back then.”

Bleach felt an almost physical pain at saying those crude things knowing that Killua was listening, but she ignored it in favour to give Illumi a bored look. She had a part to play if she didn’t want the assassin to become suspicious of her and Killua’s plan and, if it meant keeping the boys safe, she’d endure some self-humiliation.

“Hmm… that _was_ a very appealing position for you.” The man answered with a teasing smirk on his lips. “Why don’t you get on your hands and knees and we’ll _talk_ about our exchange then?”

“Ha. Ha. Ha.” Bleach deadpanned. “Just spit it out. What do you want from me?”

For long moments, the man just stared up at the thief with that burning stare he was so good at.

“Drop your Nen shield.” Automatically, Bleach’s eyes narrowed in suspicion, something that didn’t go unnoticed by the assassin. “I have no needles with me if you’re worried about me manipulating you.”

“And I should trust you because?”

Instead of giving a verbal answer, Illumi stood up and stripped from his pants and shoes, while all Bleach did was stare dumbfounded with irrational desire dripping from her eyes and drool from her lips. When he reached to pull down his underwear, the thief snapped out of her stupor and, with a will-power she didn’t know she had, demanded him to stop.

“That’s enough! I believe you’re not carrying needles with you!” Then, she inactivated Runvle’s power, allowing the small mirror to disappear from her hands. “There! Now tell me what you know.”

“Come here first.” The man spoke in a husky whisper, sitting on the middle of the bed with his back supported by the headboard. “I’ve missed you.”

_I’ve missed you too._

“I don’t give a shit.” Bleach grumbled as her feet took small steps towards the bed. “Just tell me what you know already.”

Again, instead of answering with words, Illumi let his hands speak for him and pulled Bleach towards him until she was straddling his thighs and her waist was encircle by his arms.

“What do you thin-!”

The rest of the words died on the woman’s lips as the assassin dropped his face on the crook of her neck and took in a deep breath before exhaling the hot air all over her sensitive skin. When he started talking, her body actually shivered in anticipation. But she held back any sounds.

_Killua isn’t seeing anything that’s happening. Don’t let him figure it out by your ridiculous gasps and moans._

“The Republic of East Gorteau-“ He began in a soft whisper, running his hands up and down Bleach’s arms. “-is a well-established dictatorship. Their ruler, the Supreme Leader, concentrates all of the powers in his person, giving him absolute control over his citizens.”

As the assassin spoke, he nuzzled Bleach’s neck and nibbled her ear-lobe making all of the woman’s coherent thoughts disappear. All but one: how glad she was that Killua could only hear their conversation and couldn’t actually see what they were doing. What would the boy think of her if he could?

Even that, the thief found, became a bit fogged when Illumi started to plant long and arousing kisses all over her neck and cleavage as he continued to speak about that country. His voice was so soft and husky that he could as well be talking dirty to her. She had to bite her lower lip to keep from sighing in pleasure.

“This form of government came to be after a revolt that left many poor dead and one rich in power. The Supreme Leader and the ruling classes now can enjoy of extreme wealth while most of the population lives in misery and starvation.”

By then, Illumi had managed to pull Bleach’s shirt and bra from her body, allowing his hands to caress her bare skin. The woman bit harder on her lower lip not to moan at the contact and clenched her fists by her sides as to not return the man’s erotic touches. Her seeming brown eyes glared at the top of Illumi’s head as he stopped talking altogether to kiss and suck on an exposed breats, but there was no denying the burning desire in them. She hated Illumi, but she also wanted him, so _so_ badly.

“This-“ The assassin resumed talking, raising his face from the woman’s chest to drop his forehead on hers and look into her eyes. “-is only possible thanks to the strong manipulation of their media. Television and Radio constantly report lies to keep the population under the fake belied that their lives are good, saying that in other countries half of the population starve to death before the age of 10. They also completely omit the fact that the country receives financial aid from other countries and non-governmental institutions. Instead of spending said aid on his impoverished citizens, the Supreme Leader spends it on himself and his Army. Talking about Army, the Republic have developed nuclear weapons and, in order to increase the financial aid received, threaten other countries about using them and starting a nuclear war.”

It was a truly good thing Killua could listen to Illumi’s words through the hidden microphone inside her mouth for, when Illumi started to undulated his hips beneath her, creating a mind-numbing friction, Bleach simply wasn’t capable of paying attention to his words anymore. If she wanted to keep absolutely quiet for Killua’s sake, she had to focus solely on that.

_Damn this fucking bastard for making me want him so fucking much! It’s not fair!_

“Also, they have an extremely efficient espionage system; one that involves the country’s whole population. It is an informant system called "finger-pointing group". It operates in secret, using groups of informants. Financial rewards are given for discovering spies, uncovering evidence of a revolution and catching defectors in the act. Not only that, as the group successfully uncovers traitors, it receives “informant points”. If the informant points received reach a certain amount, all the members of the group increase in rank. However, if a report turns out to be false or a member of the group commits a crime, the entire group is punished. Family members are divided in different groups, so if a group attempts to escape to another country, the rest of their families are sentenced to death or imprisoned for life. If an entire family is caught defecting, they are executed without questioning.”

If Bleach was in her right mind, she’d be disgusted and angry at such an absurd and oppressive ruling system however, at the moment, all she could think about was how close Illumi was to her, how good it felt to have him grinding his hips on hers and how better it would feel to have him thrusting inside her. The woman was close to tackling the man on his back and having her way with him then and there. The pain of biting on her bottom lip was the one thing that grounded her in place and kept her from doing so.

But she was so close to ignoring it too…

However, before she could tip over that edge, Illumi suddenly stopped all of his ministrations altogether, making Bleach’s eyes widen in surprise as her mind slowly returned to Earth. Her contact covered eyes refocused on Illumi’s face, which was barely two centimetres away from hers, spending seconds staring longingly at his mouth before raising to his black eyes.

“There you are. This information should help you and Killua once you’re inside the Republic of East Gorteau.” Illumi whispered to her, letting his warm breath touch her lips. “Now, I think I deserve a reward for that, don’t you?”

Bleach immediately scowled and made to get off the assassin’s lap but found she couldn’t. Illumi’s hands were locked on her arms, just above her elbows, holding them close to her body and pulling her down on him.

“Nah-ah-ah. This isn’t how it works and you know it, Bleach.” Illumi spoke, using that hold to roll them over so he was laying atop the woman, in-between her thighs as his upper-body pressed down on hers. “I give you something, you give me something.”

“And what it is that you want, shithead? Another fuck?” Bleach snarled as she tried to wiggle out of the assassin’s hold, feeling her hate for the man on top of her finally outgrow her desire for him. “Is it truly that fucking hard for you to find a willing woman? That’s why you keep playing these shitty games with me?”

Illumi smiled that arrogant smile of his that made Bleach want nothing more than to drag his face on asphalt.

“I can have any woman I want and you know that, lovely.” Bleach actually growled at the nickname. “But no, I don’t want to _fuck_ you again; not now. I just want a kiss.”

The thief’s struggles ceased altogether and her eyes widened in shock and apprehension. Never in a million years did the thief imagine that Illumi would ask for a kiss; it was much too simple to him.

It instantly made all the alarms go off inside her head.

Sure, he may have asked for it because he knew how much importance she put on the gesture and wanted to mock her for it, but she doubted he’d give up his last chance of recovering Killua just to crawl beneath her skin one last time. It was a trap and she knew it.

“What if I deny it?” Bleach defied, glaring challengingly at the man.

“Then I’ll knock you out and go after Gon.” The assassin answered in an easy-going voice. “He’s still without Nen isn’t he? He’ll be a very easy target.”

“Killua is there protecting him.” Bleach challenged. “He won’t let you anywhere near Gon.”

“You’re not the only master of stealth here, lovely.” Illumi highlighted with a condescending smile. “I could kill that boy and neither he or Killu would realize it until he was dead on the ground. Sure, my little brother would soon find out it was me whom killed his “friend” but it wouldn’t matter.”

“I think your father would disagree. Killua told me how Silva promised him a chance of making friends. If you attacked Gon, you’d be directly challenging him.” The thief spoke with a victorious smirk. “Gon is out of limits for you. You can’t kill him.”

The predatory smile on the assassin’s face was more than enough to make Bleach’s own smirk die on her lips and the blood run cold in her veins.

“Not if I do so as retaliation to a broken contract. Then it’ll have nothing to do with Killua, but everything to do with _you_.”

There was no denying the despair in Bleach’s wide eyes as she stared up at the assassin and he felt a shiver of excitement run down his spine. Watching the woman’s emotions run rampant in her eyes because of him was truly one of the most arousing visions and Illumi couldn’t help but grind his hips on hers one more time as he whispered in her ear.

“What’s your answer, Bleach?” Illumi demanded, finally letting go of his hold on her arms.

Bleach’s eyes narrowed as she raised her now free arms to Illumi’s head so she could roughly pull on his hair and make him raise his face from her ear. She glared into his dark eyes with all the anger and disgust she could muster.

“I hate you just like I hate Cressar.”

Illumi’s large eyes widened for a fraction of a second and his body tensed slightly at those words. But that went unnoticed by Bleach as she roughly pulled the assassin’s lips to hers, kissing him angrily.

That kiss was unlike anything Illumi had experienced with Bleach so far. It was violent and cruel and the assassin couldn’t help but scowl because of it. The woman wasn’t one to associate sex to violence. Even when he had pushed her into selling herself to him, she hadn’t tried to harm him or herself, she just took it as painless as she could. It bothered Illumi immensely how she was turning something that was so pleasurable for them both into a painful experience. It also detracted too much of his power in manipulating her through physical contact.

However, the assassin had his own agenda to fulfil and couldn’t bother himself with that. For now, he’d focus on putting Bleach under his influence again and retrieving his Killu. Then, after his brother was safe and sound in their home, Illumi could worry about recovering his place inside Bleach’s mind and, with a little more effort, gain a place in her heart. Gods know it would be much easier to control the woman if she actually fell in love with him instead of just having a combination of sexual attraction and mild fondness.

Therefore, pushing Bleach’s obvious disgust aside, Illumi did his best to return the kiss in a much gentler manner, trying to coax the woman into following his example and return their contact to its original and pleasurable status quo.

At the same time, the poison that was coating the inside of the assassin’s mouth started to release itself inside Bleach’s.

The thief felt a sudden dizziness hit her and abruptly pulled away from the kiss. She weakly pushed Illumi from her and jumped off the bed, trying to reach her discarded shirt on the floor. However, as soon as her feet hit the ground, her knees buckled and she fell.

Kneeled on the edge of the bed, Illumi quickly grabbed at her, holding her around the waist to keep her body from hitting the floor.

“Don’t worry.” The man whispered in her ear, pressing her body closer to his. “This isn’t going to hurt or kill you. Just relax and let sleep take you.”

Bleach still found in herself the strength to narrow her eyes at the assassin at the same time she activated Namid’s power.

“Don’t bother.” The assassin stated when he noticed the woman’s necklace glowing. “This drug is an irreversible anaesthetic. It means that, to end its effects, Namid would have to replace the affected neurons or make your cells produce enough competitive substances to replace my drug in your cells’ receptors. Either way, it should take her longer than usual to fight off the effects – we are talking about neurons, extremely differentiated cells after all. I should have more than enough time to take you back to my hotel and return you to a more… complacent set of mind.”

The thief’s glare darkened at hearing that but she didn’t stop trying to use Namid’s power to end the poison’s effect. Until her last second awake, her necklace glowed a bright indigo.

When Bleach’s eyes slid shut and her necklace finally stopped glowing, Illumi allowed himself to avert his dark orbs from hers and let out a sigh.

_And to think she’d so willingly cuddle me in her sleep._

As the assassin laid the unconscious woman on the bed and started to collect their clothes from the floor in a fast pace, he felt a presence watching him. In a flash, he was standing in front of the window, staring at the top of the building just across the street. There, to his utmost displeasure, he found Killua staring back at him with murderous eyes.

He watched his little brother raise his cell phone to his ear and, not a second later, Bleach’s own phone was ringing. Without a second thought, the assassin picked it up.

“Hello, Killu.”

When his little brother spoke, his voice was astoundingly cold and murderous; in any other circumstances, it would’ve made Illumi proud.

_“Tell your whore not to bother coming back to me and Gon. If she gets near us again, I’ll kill her and tell Father about you.”_

Then, the line went dead and Killua left his sight.

With a feeling of anger and frustration starting to grow in his chest, Illumi methodically lowered the phone from his ear and started to dismount the piece of technology in his hand. As expected, he found a small tracking device in it.

_Never trust anyone outside our family._

It had been one of the very first lessons Illumi taught all of his younger brothers, however, ever since he was a small boy, Killua had always ignored said lesson and trusted strangers with an imprudent ease. Until now.

Now, his little brother had rightfully suspected his “friend” and tracked her down. He found her in a motel room with his older brother. He forbade her of coming near him again. He check-mated his plans without even knowing it.

_What’s the point of having a puppet that can’t do as it is told?_

Controlling Bleach wouldn’t do him any good if she wasn’t allowed near his Killu to slowly enter his defences and manipulate him to come home. She was useless to him now.

Illumi’s dark and cold orbs fell on the vulnerable and semi-naked woman laying facedown on the bed and he had to resist the urge to punish her for his failed plan. It wasn’t the thief’s fault she was too stupid and trusting to believe that, after getting involved with him and allowing herself to be manipulated into betraying her “friends”, she would be easily trusted again. Of course, his Killu would be smarter than that; after all, he had learned from him how to deal with traitors.

_Catch them red-handed. And kill them._

Maybe Killua hadn’t followed his instructions to a T – _at least not yet -_ but still, Illumi should’ve known better. He should’ve told Bleach to leave all of her electronics and exchange her clothes for new ones before meeting with him. Why hadn’t he?

_I believed Killu too soft to suspect his “friends”. I underestimated him._

Mechanically, Illumi put his clothes back on and reached for his phone.

“Hello, Mother… Yes, I’m fine... No, I didn’t manage to get Killu back… I know, but there’s no time anymore. It has been too long since my last job and I can’t have Father suspecting me. Call Grandfather so he can give me my next assassination… He’s out on a job? Well, what do you have for me then?... Alright. Message me the data, yes?... Thank you… Love you too. Bye.”

Putting his phone back in his pants’ pocket, Illumi walked to the bed and sat down by the woman’s side. Again he felt the passionate urge to punish her for his mistakes, for making herself not useful to him anymore. Despite all of the difficulties and complications, he had enjoyed controlling her to an unparalleled degree.

Instinctively, his hands encircled her throat and tightened. It would be so easy for him to hurt and kill her.

_I hate you just like I hate Cressar._

Suddenly, his hands retreated from Bleach’s neck as if touching her like that had burned him. Then, hesitantly, they reached out for her again but, instead of closing around her neck again, they fell gently on her cheeks. Then, his forehead fell on hers.

“It was good while it lasted, Bleach. Call me some time, yes? I wouldn’t mind doing some _catching up_ with you ever now and then.”

With that, the man planted one last kiss on the woman’s slack lips and walked out of the room. There was no other choice but accepting the obvious: he had lost his round. He had lost his Killu. And he had lost his puppet.

No matter. He’d do better on his next job.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed the chapter and please tell me what you think about it and the characters. ;)
> 
> Kisses,  
> RedVoid


	38. Chimera Ants: Back In The Game

" _This is crazy. We're not doing it."_

" _It's the best way, Killua. If Illumi believes that you followed me without my knowing and think I'm a traitor to you and Gon, chances are that he'll finally give up trying to use me to get to you. We both know that giving him a hard time in doing so isn't quite enough. For him to let go, we have to get him to believe that you hate me and won't allow me near you again. We must get him to believe that controlling me would be completely useless. I've already installed a fake tracking chip in my phone; all we need for this plan to work out is you to play your part just right."_

" _But that means I have to leave you completely at his mercy. I… I don't want you or Gon to get hurt because of me. Again."_

" _Awww! You_ _ **can**_ _be cute when you want to after all."_

" _Stop messing around! This is serious!"_

" _Calm down, brat. No need to get your boxers in a bunch. Anyway, I know you don't like the idea of leaving me all alone to deal with Illumi - hell, I don't like it either – but I honestly don't think it'll be that much of a big deal. It wouldn't be suspicious for me to make sure he isn't carrying any of his needles with him so I can, at least, ensure that he won't be able to manipulate me as long as we remain in the motel room. If he actually finds a way to take me somewhere else… Well, in this case I'll be compromised and I want you to follow with your supposed to be fake promise of keeping me away from you and Gon."_

" _Or I can just take out the needles from you like last time."_

" _Do you really think Illumi would give you the chance to do so again?"_

"… _No. Aniki doesn't repeat mistakes. Still, I'm not giving up on you just like that. And neither will Gon once he finds out about that. We'll both fight until you're safe from his Manipulation again."_

" _Killua, be rational here. We need the intel your brother has on the Republic of East Gorteau to increase the success-rate of our mission; it's essential for Gon and yours survival inside that place. My well-being is secondary to that."_

" _Bleach-"_

" _And, if all goes as planned, we'll get both. I'm pretty sure Illumi won't do anything to me if he believes I'm useless to get to you. After all, it was the whole reason he started showing… interest in me in the first place."_

" _Don't even mention it. I still don't understand how you two ended up… Ugh! I don't like even thinking about it."_

" _Then don't. Please. God know I'm ashamed enough about that without having you actually picture what happened. Back to what matters: promise me you won't get anywhere near me if Illumi is still present or if he finds a way to manipulate me again. Don't meet up with me until, at the very least, hours after Illumi gets away from me. If I'm alright, I'll find you and Gon by sunset."_

"…"

" _Killua. Do it for Gon."_

" _Fine."_

* * *

When Bleach woke up, alone and half-naked inside a motel room, she couldn't help but smirk bitterly at the sense of déjà vu that hit her. Many times before she had woken up in the same situation, after passing out once her clients were done with her. The only differences were the current lack of physical and emotional pain and the presence of a thick duvet covering her body. The self-disgust and the craving for a drink were the same.

Slowly Bleach sat up, raising her left hand to her forehead as she felt the beginning of a headache start to form. The blanket started to slid down her mostly bare upper body but she didn't mind it, since she was alone.

"Ew! Cover yourself! No one wants to see that!"

Or so she thought.

Startled at the familiar voice, Bleach quickly gathered the blanket and brought it up to cover her chest.

"Fuck, Killua!" The woman yelled, turning her head to stare at the boy standing by her side, with his tense back turned to her. "A heads-up would've been nice!"

"You know what else would've been nice?! If you didn't go parading yourself naked so easily!"

"I didn't know you were there! And I'm not naked!"

"It's no excuse! What woman just lets a blanket fall from her exposed chest like that?!"

"A woman who's dizzy and believes she's alone!"

Finally, Killua turned around to face the woman with a flustered blush in his face. "As if I'd leave you alone and risk Illumi coming back for you just like that!"

"Yeah, well-!" Bleach suddenly stopped talking as the shame and frustration on her face were replaced by surprise. "What?"

"Don't act so surprised." The boy let out in a low voice, lowering his embarrassed eyes to the ground. "As soon as Illumi left, I came in to see if he had managed to put needles in you again. Then I wrapped you in a blanket and took you to another room to make sure he wouldn't be able to come back for you. Despite what you said about waiting a few hours, I couldn't just leave you alone like that; no matter how disturbing it was to find you passed out on the bed dressed… indecently. By the way, just… why did you let my brother… you know…"

The embarrassed blush on Bleach's cheeks was as bright as the one on Killua's. "Touch me again?"

"…Yes."

"W-Well… It's a grown-up thing, Killua. As I told you before, Illumi and I… got together in that trip to get my new weapons. And it was… nice. And your brother knows that and knows how to use it all too well. It helped to make Illumi more… compliant and talkative, to let him believe he had me wrapped around his finger so… you know. I let him."

_And I couldn't really help myself._

"Adults are disgusting." The boy spoke as a scowl grew on his lips.

Bleach couldn't help but smirk. "Just wait until puberty hits you, brat. We'll see if you still think that."

Killua's scowl deepened as he once again gave his back to the thief.

"Just put your clothes on. I want to go back to Gon as soon as possible. I don't want him spending more time than necessary with that crazy Palm."

Bleach didn't need more prompting.

* * *

However, instead of going back to Gon as both wanted, as soon as the thief was dressed Bleach called Illumi, pretending to be angry and confused.

"What was you plan, you piece-of-shit?! What the fuck did you do to me this time?!"

" _I haven't done anything to you, lovely."_

"Don't you fucking call me that! And why would I believe you?!"

" _Is it really so hard to believe that I only wished a kiss from you?"_

"Yes."

" _So distrustful… After everything we've been through together, one would expect a little more consideration from you."_

"Though luck. Now tell me what the fuck you did to me!"

" _I honestly didn't do anything after you fainted. There was no use or time anymore."_

"What do you mean?" Bleach asked in a confused voice as she gave Killua a thumbs-up.

" _Killu followed you to the motel. He saw us together."_

"Don't even joke about shit like that, you bastard. It's not funny. Killua couldn't have seen us!"

" _He did. By the way, I suggest you not to go back to him or his little "friend" anytime soon. My little brother issued a very convincing death-threat to you if you did so. Sorry to say, but you lost your company, Bleach."_

"YOU FUCKING BASTARD!" Bleach yelled in outrage, as she fist-bumped Killua. She was very thankful that Illumi couldn't see her right now; acting or not he had a very easy time reading her emotions in her eyes and would see right through her lies. "I'M GOING TO FUCKING MURDER YOU, YOU PIECE-OF-SHIT!"

" _Don't get mad at me. It was_ _you_ _who allowed yourself to be followed. If you had removed the tracker from your phone before coming to me none of that would've happened and all would've ended well."_

"By  _well_  you mean that I would end up with needles inside my skull and no free-will."

" _I never said it would end up well for_ _ **you**_ _. Now, if you don't mind, I'll hang up now. My airship is about to take flight."_

"Huh? You're leaving?"

" _Time is money, as you surely know. And I've already wasted enough of it on you for now. Don't worry though; I'll make sure to open some vacancies in my schedule just for you every once in a while. The sex was quite worth it, don't you agree?"_

"F-Fuck you!" Bleach spat in an embarrassed and angry voice before ending the call. This time, the emotions were not faked.

"So?" Killua asked eagerly.

Immediately, Bleach's blush was replaced by a cocky smirk.

"He's inside an airship, leaving the country. We're free from him, Killua."

Both smiled in relieved, even though the same dreadful thought went through their minds:

_For now._

* * *

"Killua." Bleach called in a low voice as they walked back to their hotel room. "I'm very sorry for getting you involved in this. I didn't want to get you in such… dirty business. But I promise nothing much happened between me and your brother in that room."

"You talk as if you made me watch you and Aniki do anything." The boy responded with a roll of his eyes. "I didn't even hear anything going on. All I heard was you and Illumi talking." Then the former assassin smirked. "We got plenty about the Republic of East Gorteau."

Bleach sighed. "Good."

Now all they had to do was plan and prepare.

* * *

Some weeks later, on the 29th day since Gon had lost his Nen, the trio of Hunters, alongside Morau, Knov, Knuckle, Shoot and Palm, found themselves inside a train, going full-speed to the Republic of East Gorteau.

On the way there, the Hunters stopped to have lunch in a small restaurant in which there was an old TV broadcasting news about the totalitarian country. It seemed that, ten days from then, a three-day celebration would take place in the capitol city and all of the citizens were invited. However, according to Morau, the leader of the Republic of East Gorteau was being manipulated by the Chimera Ants' King and his Royal Guards, and the "celebration" would actually be a sort of screening of humans. What the screening was for, no one was sure, but they knew it had to be stopped.

Netero was already inside the country and sent Knov a message telling them what to do to stop the screening:

_Divide in three groups and draw the Royal Guard away from the King. The operation will begin at midnight of the night before the celebration._

_From the sharp-eared old man._

* * *

A few hours later, the party found themselves in a large metropolitan city close to the Republic of East Gorteau. They quickly went to one of the best hotels in the city and rented themselves some rooms. After some hours of unpacking, at exactly midnight, they went to a large open area of the hotel for the one thing most of them were desperately looking forward to:

It was time for Gon to get his Nen back.

* * *

Bleach smiled warmly at seeing the boy return to using his Ren and allowing his warm and strong Aura to flow through his body. It had been unsettling and kind of sad seeing such a honest and straightforward person like Gon being forced into Zetsu all the time; that state was better suited for more… tricky and vague people, like her.

"It's great to have you back to using Ren, Gon." The thief spoke, laying her hand on the boy's shoulder. "Zetsu is kind of my thing you know?"

The boy just smiled brightly to the thief.

"Gon."

Both Hunters turned their heads to stare at Morau as he took some steps forward, until he was standing right in front of them.

"Sorry, but I'm still not convinced we should keep you around. I want to see your resolve. Attack me as if I were responsible for Kaito. If your attack is too weak, we'll replace you with another Hunter."

Then, the large man removed his shirt and Bleach couldn't help but raise an appreciative eyebrow at the sight.  _Oh my, he's in great shape for an old man. Too bad he's going to die if Gon takes his request seriously._

* * *

Thankfully for them all, Gon aborted his Jajanken attack at the last second, allowing Morau to walk away with his body intact. After that near-death experience, the Sea Hunter, assigned the teams and gave them the green card to so whatever it was necessary to assure the success of their mission.

Gon, Killua and Bleach were left in charge of dealing with Neferupitou, something that demanded them not only to be strong, but also have a very good intel on the situation in the country so they could develop a safe strategy to fight the Chimera Ants.

And that was why, on the next night, the party decided all the groups would enter the country in a "private tour".

* * *

"Sneaking in was easy." Killua began. "But the question is how to get close to the enemy. And we can't let anyone see us either; this country has a powerful information system. If you discover an enemy spy, you receive a reward. If you stop anyone from fleeing the country, you receive a reward."

"And the people will do anything for that reward." Gon concluded.

"Yeah, and…"

As Killua started to explain to Gon every bit of information he and Bleach had managed to extract from Illumi, Gon's brain started to overheat bit by bit and Bleach couldn't help but crack a smile when Killua exploded on the confused boy.

"I'm sorry." Gon said sheepishly as he scratched his face. "It's just so complicated… But you sure know a lot, Killua!"

At that, both white-haired Hunters exchanged a look of complicity that went completely unnoticed by Gon.

"Aniki… he told… me everything." The former assassin half-lied in a firm voice, eyes fixed on Bleach's.

The thief nodded in approval and turned her head away so she could stare forwards again. The fact that Killua already knew about her and Illumi's "relationship" –  _former "relationship" –_ was bad enough, but having Gon conscious of it too? She'd end up burying herself on the ground and never coming up again.

Just as Killua had finished talking, the trio reached a small village. While Gon waited, Killua and Bleach, whom were more used to stealth, sneaked into the place to check what was the situation, only to find it completely deserted.

* * *

"Maybe everyone already left for Peijing?" Gon asked as he took in the insides of one of the many empty houses.

"No." Killua answered. "Something happened here."

"And someone's trying to hide it." Bleach put in, voice and face all business-like. "Killua, move that chair behind you a bit."

Nodding in understanding, the former assassin did so, revealing a small bullet-hole in the wall behind said chair. "They did a sloppy job."

* * *

The trio walked out of the house, following a trail of blood until coming upon some human remains, on which many wild dogs had feasted.

"They didn't dig deep enough so wild dogs got to the bodies." Killua explained to Gon. "I imagine the whole village is buried here."

"What's going on?" The brunette couldn't help but ask.

As Killua started answering, Bleach's hands tightened into fists at her sides.

"That's the purpose of the National Celebration. It's a pretence for entire populations of towns to disappear without raising suspicion. The Selection has begun."

* * *

After a long conversation about what the Chimera Ants were doing and how, the trio of Hunters came up with a plan of action.

"Causing a commotion to stop the Selection will be simple. We merely come up, stop whoever is being manipulated, and free the people. Then we encourage the people we freed to check on nearby towns and leave the country." Killua spoke with a confident smile on his face. "If we'll deal with puppets instead of actual Chimera Ants, defeating them will be easy."

"Yeah…" Bleach agreed, though she had a scowl on her face. "But that means we'll be discovered too quickly for my liking. It won't take long before they send actual Chimera Ants to find out and kill who is causing the commotion. And if we're to follow Netero's plan, we should stay hidden. I say we do things from the shadows."

Immediately, Killua stopped walking, prompting Bleach and Gon to follow his example. He knew Bleach would say that and, frankly, he agreed with her. However, being stealthy and holding back emotions to wait for the best opportunity to act and get the job done was something that only the two of them had ever done. Gon on the other hand…

"What do you think?" The former assassin asked, looking directly at Gon. "Can you rely more on stealth than your fists?"

The brunette understood the depth and importance of the question; eyebrows furrowed in concentration he regarded his answer.

"Let's do it." Gon finally answered, serious eyes full of determination. "If the Selection has already begun we can't just stand around watching."

Bleach couldn't help but sigh in relief. Since the beginning she feared that Gon's big heart would get the boy to reveal himself to danger in order to save anyone he could. Knowing the boy was willing to  _try_ and keep himself hidden, while not being the same as knowing he  _wouldn't_  let his emotions get the better of him, was already deeply reassuring.

_Still, I have a very bad feeling about this. omething's bound to go wrong. As usual._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now, we're back to the Chimera Ants arc and, while it'll take me quite some chapters to finish it, I don't intend to put more than the absolutely necessary explanations to understand what is going on. We've all watched/read everything and I don't want to make the chapters so repetitive and boring you're not able to read it.
> 
> For that, I count on your help. If I dwell too much on something, please let me know. If I don't explain it enough, plese let me know. If you think I should spend more time dealing with the characters' feelings and thoughts, please let me know. ;)
> 
> Kisses,  
> RedVoid


	39. Chimera Ants: The Calm Before The Storm

_Their response was faster than I expected._

From her place at the top of one of the many skyscrapers of one of the few developed cities of East Gorteau, Bleach heard the announcement of the imposition of a Martial Law on the country and watched as soldiers marched and tanks drove through the city's streets. She and the boys had separated themselves just a few hours ago and shit was already hitting the fan.

_I'm so glad Killua told Gon to stay hidden while we cause a commotion._

She doubted Gon would stand to watch soldiers all but barging into people's homes and finding excuses to execute them.

_I just wish Killua would've stayed close by._

Sure, both could communicate through their cell phones but it wasn't the same. If she was there by his side, Bleach could help in case he came upon and fought a Squadron Leader, and heal him afterwards.

BUZZ BUZZ

Talk about the devil...

"Killua, you alright?"

" _I'm safe. Did you watch the announcement?"_

"I heard it. "Diego" has installed Martial Law."

" _We'll have to give up our plan of instigating people to leave the country. They've just seen and heard their leader alive and well; they won't believe us."_

"What do we do now? Just take out the puppets and soldiers following the Chimera Ants' orders?"

" _That's our only option."_

"Alright."

" _Good. I'll hang up now. Let's make contact again in 6 hours."_

"Ok. Hey, Killua!"

" _Huh?"_

"Just… keep safe, ok?"

"... _You do too."_

Both hang up at the same time the sun started to rise in the horizon.

* * *

Unlike Gon and Killua, whom had engaged in fights with Chimera Ants and met two new allies, Bleach's time stirring up things in the Republic of East Gorteau was completely uneventful.

Until she answered a call from Killua's phone. It was not the boy's voice she heard.

" _Is that Bleach? Killua's friend?"_

The thief felt something clench inside her chest as her mind quickly conjured the worst possible scenario for a stranger to be using Killua's phone. And she was quick to voice her opinion about it.

"You listen to me you little shit. If I find out that you as much as touched one strand of the brat's hair I'll track you down and I will kill you, do you hear me?" Bleach hissed in a venomous voice. "If you wish to keep on breathing for a while longer, you better tell me exactly where Killua is right now. If you don't, it'll be hell  _when_  I find you both."

" _I'm sending you the exact coordinates of our location. Please come fast. Killua is receiving the best medical treatment I can provide but he told me you could do better."_

After those words, all Bleach could do was stare dumb folded at her cell phone as the line went dead.  _What just happened? Is this a trap? It must be._

Not two seconds later, her phone buzzed once again, signalling that she had just received the message with Killua's coordinates. Without a second thought, she checked the location and started running towards it.

_Trap or not, I can't leave Killua like that._

* * *

Despite being extremely brash in her need to save Killua and running around for almost 24 hours to reach the exact coordinates she received from what was without doubts a Chimera Ant, Bleach still held one card upon her sleeve: Runvle's mirror. As long as she had the protective barrier around her body, Bleach would be able to not only remain safe from the most likely upcoming attack but also locate the enemy as soon as they tried anything.

However, to her utmost surprise, even that small precaution wasn't necessary.

When Bleach arrive at the place, she found an octopus-shaped Chimera Ant impatiently waiting for her. He wasted no time with introductions and soon took her to an underground medical facility, wherein Killua was being tended to.

Ignoring her exhausted body and the sweat dripping from her whole body, the woman wasted no time in sitting by the boy's bed and finishing the boy's healing herself. Between improving her own Manipulation Nen and sparring with Killua while they waited for Gon to recover his Nen, Bleach had practiced hard with Namid's powers so she would be able to heal all of the members of their party when needed without having to worry so much about her own life. It still wasn't a perfected ability, but it was enough to allow her to heal Killua's remaining injuries to perfection exhausting only about 20% of her Aura.

As soon as she was finished, Bleach exhaled a breath she didn't realizing she was holding as she suddenly felt a huge weight being lifted of her shoulders.  _Damn you, brat. Making me worry so much._

"There you go. As good as new…"

Then, as if just snapping out of a trance, the woman finally took in her surroundings with due attention. The room was full with other hurt human beings, all lying in small and improvised beds like Killua. Sitting by her side, in a crappy wooden bench just like she was, was none other than the octopus-guy – who, by the way, was dressed like a normal person - that had taken her to Killua. He had been watching the whole healing process with attentive and worried eyes.

"You." Bleach called in a low voice, getting the Chimera Ant to rise its rounded head to her. "What's your name?"

"Ikalgo."

"Ikalgo… Why did you tell me about Killua's whereabouts? Why did you provide him with medical assistance?"

Bleach watched it-  _he_  lower his eyes to the ground in shame.

"Killua… he said I was cool. Even if I'm not a squid."

Bleach groaned and dropped her face in her hands at the sheer absurdity of the explanation.

"What kind of ridiculous reasoning is that?!" The woman demanded in a harsh whisper, raising her head so she could stare at Ikalgo with all the confusion she was feeling.

The octopus-like Chimera Ant paid her no mind and just kept talking with a far-off look in his eyes.

"He said that I was extremely cool, because I was faithful to my friends. And he saved my life even though I tried to kill him. He said that we could've been friends… I couldn't just let him die."

The thief couldn't help but blink at how… heartfelt those words truly were. Ikalgo had been truthfully moved by Killua. And that only happened because the Chimera Ant in front of her truly was a good and honest guy.

"He was right." Bleach spoke, giving the octopus a small smirk. "You're very cool, Ikalgo. It's difficult to find people this great."

Ikalgo's eyes widened in surprise as tears threatened to spill from them. It was more than enough to get Bleach on her feet.

"Before you start getting all emotional on me and whatnot, I'm stepping out. I need to make a call."

Bleach didn't manage to take one step before a loud and shrill voice called out to her.

"Woman! Before you go!"

Startled, Both Bleach and Ikalgo wiped their heads around to find a small female doctor facing them.

"Your friend there spent a whole day in my clinic. You need to pay his fee."

"Eh… I don't have money with me right now." Bleach spoke, scratching the back of her head. "But if you let me make that call as I planned to, I can arrange for it to be deposited on your account."

* * *

"Hey, Gon."

" _Bleach! I'm so relieved to hear from you! I've been calling you and Killua non-stop for the last 8 hours!"_

"Yeah, sorry about that. I was a bit busy and couldn't pick up. But I do have good news for you: I'm with Killua right now, in an underground clinic and we're both alright."

" _That's great!"_

"What about you? You're not hurt or anything?"

" _Not at all. I'm with Knuckle and a new ally. They're bonding right now."_

Bleach blinked. "Don't tell me… this new ally of yours is a Chimera Ant?"

" _How did you know?"_

The thief's eyes drifted to Ikalgo, who was still sitting by Killua's bedside.

"Eh… I'll explain better when we meet. By the way, could you do me a favour and make a deposit? Killua received some medical attention and we need to pay for it."

* * *

When Bleach returned to the room, Killua was already up and getting dressed while Ikalgo observed in wonder how all of his wounds were completely healed.

"What?" Bleach asked with an offended voice and teasing smirk, startling the octopus. "Didn't believe me when I said he was as good as new? How little you think of me, Ikalgo… And here I telling you how cool you are."

"No! I mean… I might've been a bit reluctant to believe. But I didn't mean to doubt your abilities! I just-"

"Stop tormenting him, Bleach." Killua scolded as he stretched his body. "How long have I been asleep?"

"One day."

"WHAT?! How bad is your healing that it took me a whole day to get better?"

Bleach scowled. "You ungrateful brat. I finished healing you not twenty minutes ago!"

"Then wh-"

It was then that Killua noticed the large sweat stains on Bleach's clothes and how her neck and face were still a bit shiny from the thin layer of liquid still covering them.

_She came running here from wherever she was. Could it be that she spent the whole day running?_

Blushing in shame, Killua turned his face to the side and mumbled an apology. In any other occasion, Bleach would demand a little more from the boy, however, at the moment, she wanted to get reunited with Gon as soon as possible – the thief knew he was safe with Knuckle, but she'd still feel more at ease once she saw him herself – so she let it go.

"You're forgiven. Now come on; let's go meet up with Gon."

Immediately, both Hunters turned around and started to walk towards the clinic's door, while Ikalgo watched their backs with a forlorn look on his face.

"What are you doing?" Killua asked, turning around to look at Ikalgo. "Let's go."

"Huh?" The octopus let out.

"We're going to join our friends." The former assassin explained. "We'll introduce you."

Ikalgo looked hesitant.

"Well, we won't force you." Killua said with a pout. "Just let me say this: thank you."

Both Hunters made to keep moving, but Ikalgo's voice halted them.

"Wait… Is it okay if I come?"

"Of course it is, or else we wouldn't have invited you." Bleach reassured with a wink. "Don't worry. A cool guy like you will fit in real easy."

Killua frowned. "You were never this welcoming with me in the beginning."

"Well, you never saved the life of one of my friends in the beginning."

"But!" Once again, Ikalgo's voice drawed the Hunters' attention back to him. "I'm just a…"

Killua turned his face away in embarrassment. "Was I the only one who thought we were already friends?"

Bleach raised an eyebrow at the boy. "Brat, you weren't this cute when we first met."

Killua's blush came full-force as he turned to glare at the woman. "Shut up!"

Bleach chuckled, turning her gaze back to the octopus lagging some feet behind.

"So, you coming or not?"

Eyes filled with happy tears, Ikalgo ran towards both Hunters. "I'm coming! I'm coming with you!"

* * *

Hours later, the trio met with Gon, Knuckle, Shoot and yet another Chimera Ants ally, Meleoron, to reach a conclusion regarding their plan of action for the day of the Selection.

It would happen in only two days.

* * *

_Two days later._

A couple of hours before the midnight of the Selection, the whole party got together inside one of Knov's Four Dimensional Mansion. It was uncanny how all of the Hunters were composed.

All except Knov.

* * *

"Hey, can I talk to you for a second?"

Slowly, Knov raised his eyes from the floor he had been staring at for the last 20 minutes to find Bleach looking at him with an uncharacteristically intense stare. Once she knew she had his attention, the thief broke that gaze to turn her head to the side as a sigh left her lips.

"No one blames you." Bleach spoke as her eyes settled on Gon and Killua. "Pitou's En is the most terrifying thing I've ever encountered in my life. And believe me when I say that I've been through some serious fuc- disturbing experiences. The only reason I'm able to stay strong and go back there is because of those two, and I'm pretty sure everyone else feels the same. We're all supporting each other to go there. No one is strong enough to face that thing alone, let alone without fear. So stop looking so damn pathetic and go back to acting like that haughty Hunter you used to be."

Knov's eyes widened at the thief's words of support but before he could say anything, Bleach was already walking away from him.

The woman didn't wish to wait for he to thank her or anything. She just didn't do emotional conversations – unless it was with Gon and Killua. Also, it wasn't like she had said all of that for his benefit or anything; his pathetic sight was just getting on her nerves and making her even more nervous about the whole ordeal and she sure as hell didn't need that. All she wanted was for the guy to stop moping around so the atmosphere in the room would lighten up a bit. If he got some sort of reassurance from her words, it all came from his head.

* * *

"Time's up. Gather around!"

At Morau's words, the party stopped discussing about the King's self-injury and the –  _disturbing as fuck –_ possibility of Palm being used by him to reproduce. Without another word, everyone rose to their feet, ready to commence the invasion to the palace.

Bleach's eyes instinctively fixed on Killua. The boy was still unsatisfied about they not being able to reach an adequate conclusion regarding that small glitch on Pitou's En – the one that allowed Knov to set up a portal right by the palace's main staircase – however there was nothing they could do now. Whatever unexpected situation that came their way, they'd have to improvise and keep moving forwards.

However, as Morau started the final countdown to the invasion, Gon replaced the former assassin as the focus of Bleach's attention. She felt the bloodlust grow inside the usually pacific boy and watched as his bright brown eyes lost all of their gleam and warmth.

It was like watching the birth of a demon, and she feared said demon would demand a much too high price of the boy who was summoning it.

_Gon… please don't let this consume you._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As usual, I hope this amount of cannon-plot wasn't such a bother to you all. Please tell me what you think about the chapter and what I could do to make this part of the fic - so full of cannon situations and all - a bit more interesting and less bothersome. XP
> 
> Kisses,  
> RedVoid


	40. Chimera Ants: Storm Of Emotions

To say Bleach was surprised at seeing Youpi sitting on the staircase playing the watchdog would be very accurate. To say she was also surprised at not feeling Pitou's En all around the palace would be a bit of an understatement, but it would do.

To say she was shocked at seeing golden Nen arrows raining down on them didn't even begin to describe it.

_How did things manage to get_ _**this** _ _out of plan?!_

The thief was ready for the unexpected; like everyone else, she knew things would get out of hand. But never this much, this  _soon_.

_Why the Chairman didn't warn us about this?_

It was clear that these flying arrows were the Chairman doing – most likely his plan to separate the King from his Royal Guard. What was unclear was why he hadn't warned them about it? If they had known, they could've prepared to better defend themselves from the arrows and, most important, how to use them to their advantage against the Royal Guard; in this case, Youpi.

To Bleach's surprise, Gon and Killua didn't seem to share from her – and the rest of the party's – moment of surprise and hesitation. The boys kept charging forwards, ready to challenge Youpi.

_What are you two doing?! We must focus on Pitou! Dealing with Youpi is Knuc- Oh, fuck._

Then, the thief understood. What if Knuckle and Meleoron had been hit by one of the arrows and, even though dead, remained invisible? It would fall upon them to deal with Youpi.

_Damn it, Gon and Killua. You boys are sharp._

With that though, Bleach summoned Runvle's mirror inside her hoodie's kangaroo pocket, automatically activating her power to form a shield around herself. However, before she could accomplish said task, Pitou's En suddenly hit them full-force, staggering the thief's Nen and movements as it allowed a very familiar voice to invade her head once again.

_**C- Chosen… One.** _

Before Bleach could respond to Iadbo's voice, let alone deal with his growing presence inside her mind, she saw three of Youpi's six arms meld together to form only one very large, very heavy appendage. The Chimera Ant wasted no time in throwing a heavy fist her and the boys' way, but the thief was a moment to slow to dodge or summon Runvle's barriers to protect herself from it, receiving the blow full-force, with only her Ten to defend herself from damage.

_Fuck._

Bleach felt stabs of pain all over her body as hot blood streaked down her face, but didn't allow that to stop her. Automatically, the Hunter used Namid's powers to heal her wounds and also to push Iadbo's presence away from her mind, caging it for a little while longer.

The woman knew something like that could happen with Iadbo once she got in contact with Pitou's Nen. It had managed to free Iadbo the first time, why would it be any different now? Sure, she didn't have Namid's necklace with her in the first time, but she had Illumi's Nen in her and, like it or not, it had fought off the vengeful guardian's Nen just as Namid's did.

Bleach didn't fear the conflict though, not anymore. She had readied herself to it, to another showdown with Iadbo. Between improving her healing abilities, she had practiced her Manipulation Nen under Namid's tutorage everyday since her last encounter with the Guardian of Darkness, all so she could deal with the him herself, once and for all.

_But not yet._

For now she'd have to depend on Namid's powers to keep Iadbo away for a while longer still. Her priority was to protect Gon and Killua.

With that in mind, Bleach cleaned the blood from her eyes with the back of her hand and ran after the boys, whom had returned to their original course of action - defeating Pitou - now that Shoot had recovered and was ready to fight Youpi. She easily catching up with them due to their slow speed. They were waiting for her.

Bleach exchanged nods with Gon and Killua and, as one, the three Hunters sped off deeper into the Palace.

* * *

Killua was the first to go on his own, taking off to deal with some Chimera Ants that would be in Ikalgo's way.

Bleach didn't even blink at that; she knew Killua was more than strong enough to deal with those weak soldiers himself. Her and Gon kept running until they reached the building's roof, from where they had a clear view of the Throne Room. To both Hunters' surprise, said room was involved by Morau's Smoky Jail, meaning that it was only Pouf in there. Pitou and the King were somewhere else.

"Gon, lower to the right."

Immediately, the boy followed Bleach's instructions and turned his head, allowing his eyes to focus on the figure of a Chimera Ant leaving one of the towers of the palace. It was mostly green, with a long and thick tail. And scarily imposing.

_The King._

Then, as if the Hunters hadn't dealt with enough surprises in the span of three minutes, they watched Netero and Zeno, Killua's grandfather, leave the same tower to follow after the Chimera Ant at a calm pace.

Bleach watched as Netero smiled a sadistic smile and pointed over his shoulder with his thumb.  _Your prey is right there, Gon. Have fun._

The woman couldn't help but glare at the old man with disgust. He knew how much of a toll the whole Pitou situation was taking on Gon and he still encouraged it. As much as she understood the boy's hate towards the Chimera Ant that had killed Kaito, she still feared what such emotion would bring him. It wasn't healthy to be this obsessed with something, be it a fight, a vendetta or a bottle of alcohol.

Without a word, the woman lowered her gaze to the boy standing beside her, watching with concern written all over her face as his eyes became lifeless and filled with hate as her mind pleaded once again:

_Please, Gon. Don't let this consume you._

At that moment, just as Zeno summoned his Dragon Head power, Killua reached both Gon and Bleach. Together, the three Hunters watched Netero and the King fly away on Zeno's golden dragon for what would surely be the battle of the century.

* * *

"Hey." Zeno's voice was tired and calm as he greeted the three approaching young Hunters, as if they weren't in the middle of a battle that could very well mean the world of humanity as they knew it. "My job here is done. I know nothing beyond the mission I was received. I'll let you draw your own conclusions about what you'll find inside that tower."

Bleach frowned.  _What does he mean?_

However, before the thief could ask what was he talking about, Zeno jumped off the edge of the stonewall and disappeared into the darkness, leaving her to sigh in disappointment; any sort of information about the situation they were in would be a great help to plan for the future.

Gon didn't share the thief's worries. Defeating Pitou was his one goal and he knew that the Chimera Ant –  _Kaito's killer_  – was inside the tower, just a few metres behind him.

Without a word, the once-boy turned around and stalked towards the tower.

Killua and Bleach followed after, feeling dread grown inside their chests like a poisonous vine. They knew that whatever happened inside that tower would change Gon, and they feared not to be able to undo the damage. They could admit to wanting nothing more than to stop the brunette in his tracks and steer him away from the revengeful path he was walking, but they couldn't. They were his friends. And friends supported each other.

Killua looked at Bleach-

_Gon will break himself-_

-and she looked back at him.

- _but we'll be there to pick up the pieces and put them back together._

* * *

Sweat streaked down Bleach's face.

The wounds of the girl who was important to the King were absurdly serious; the woman had no idea how such a fragile-looking being hadn't died on the spot. Hell, she didn't understand how the girl wasn't dying in her hands right now. Even with her improved mastery over Namid's healing Nen and working alongside Pitou, the girl remained in critical condition. And gods knew Bleach was doing all she could to best heal her so the girl would be healthy by the time Pitou was due to fight Gon. For a moment, the thief worried that she wouldn't have enough Aura left to heal the other members of their invasion party –  _Knuckle, Shoot, Morau… I'm sorry_  – but quickly dismissed the thought. She  _needed_  to focus on her healing Nen right now. The girl's life and her mission's success depended on that task.

And how hard of a task it was…

Sweat fell on her eyes, blurring her vision of the girl's exposed organs. For a moment, the Hunter raised her head so she could dry her eyes on the back of her sleeve, inadvertently setting her eyes on the once carefree boy brooding –  _watching his prey_  – a couple of metres away, and on the feline Chimera Ant crouching on the girl's other side, right in front of her.

Tears streaked down Bleach's face.

The blows on Gon's sanity were maybe even more serious than the girl's wounds. But, then again, how could he –  _a child, nothing more than a child_  – ever begin to understand the deep changes that had taken place inside Pitou? Even her, almost twice his age and three-times as experienced, couldn't fully accept that the Chimera Ant had grown from the blood-lusting animal that had killed Kaito without a blink of an eye to a creature complex and empathetic enough to care if someone else lived or died. What Pitou was showing them was more than the desire to fulfil her King's commands; it was the desire to protect his feelings. The Chimera Ant understood that the girl meant a lot for the Chimera Ant King, she  _empathized_. Pitou's behaviour was something beyond loyal to her liege, it was  _human_. And Gon would murder her.

Not bearing to look at the broken boy or the human monster anymore, Bleach lowered her gaze back to the girl's wounds.

_How did things manage to get this out of plan? It's just not fair. Not to Gon, not to this girl, not to Killua, not to me and… not to_ _**them** _ _either_ _**.** _

* * *

If Bleach's hands hadn't been trembling the whole time she worked on healing Komugi, they would've started when other of the King's Royal Guards, Shaiapouf, appeared.

Unlike Pitou, this Chimera Ant seemed to hold an enormous grudge against the wounded girl and, when he demanded to be told what had happened in the room until that point else he'd leave the place – letting Gon to retaliate with ending the girl's life – the thief understood he wanted nothing more than to see Komugi dead.

_This girl is important for the King so why would he want her dead? It makes no sense. Unless…_

Bleach's whole body tensed as the sound of Pitou's words was immediately replaced by her conscious.

_Unless she's changing the King in ways he doesn't agree; unless she's making him more human, just like Pitou. Oh fuck. What have we come here to kill?_

However, the Hunter couldn't allow her conscious to become the focus of her mind at the moment. Healing others was still a difficult process and it demanded her full concentration. All she could allow herself to feel was relief when, after hearing Pitou's explanation, Pouf complied to his promise and remained in the room.

* * *

That relief was soon shattered when Knuckle appeared as well, demanding Pouf to fight him and, as consequence, extracting from the Royal Guard that he wasn't truly with them, that his real body was already on its way to the King.

Gon didn't believe him and Pouf claimed to be impossible for him to prove he was saying the truth. He said they should use their own judgement on that matter and that he'd leave it up for Gon to decide what would happen next. After that, his body exploded in thousands of small clones that flew away from the room with one last annoucement.

"I'll be waiting in the front gates for ten minutes! If you come or not is your choice!"

The desperation emanating from both current healers was almost tangible as they rose their wide and anticipating eyes to Gon.

"Please wait!" Pitou pleaded to Gon. "I'm still here! I apologize for Pouf's behaviour! It's alright if I'm still here, right?!"

Gon's reply was curt and chilling.

"You have ten fewer minutes to heal her."

Bleach felt a lump form on her throat. Gon hadn't as much as startled when Pouf disobeyed his order. Instead, he had retaliated in a logical but heartless manner. That… wasn't Gon anymore.

It was enough to make tears blurry Bleach's vision once again.

_FUCK!_

* * *

"We're almost done." Bleach spoke, raising her blood-coated hands from Komugi's abdomen. She was sweating and breathing hard. "All that's left is for Pitou's  _Dr Blythe_  to sew her up."

As the words left Bleach's mouth, Pitou's head shot up from Komugi to the Hunter kneeling in from of her. Indeed, they were done but there was still time left before Gon's deadline and the Royal Guard had hoped the woman wouldn't realize that all wounds had been healed already. It would've given her much needed time to figure out what to do with Komugi once she was fighting the boy. She was reluctant in leaving the girl with the woman in front of her, as she could use Komugi as leverage against the King, however she didn't dare to leave her with Pouf or Youpi – especially Pouf. The other Royal Guards hated the girl and she doubted they'd keep her safe from harm.

"Good." The boy's cold voice echoed in the floor as he stood up. "You have two minutes to finish her up."

Pitou tensed, but followed his order, standing up as well as soon as she was finished.

Before Gon could lead them out of the tower, Komugi sat up slowly as confused words left her lips.

"Huh? Where am I? What happened to me?"

Pitou saw an opportunity there and took it.

"If possible, I'd like t-"

The Chimera Ant didn't dare continue that sentence, for the murderous shadow in Gon's eyes when he stared at her and the ominous tone of his voice left no room for argument.

"If you try to delay any longer, I'll kill her."

Pitou tensed and had to fight back the urge to crouch in front of Komugi protectively as to not antagonize her enemy further. To the Chimera Ant's relief though, the panting Hunter whom had helped her to heal Komugi had done so instead, quickly putting her body between the recovering girl and the murderous boy.

"Get a grip, Gon." The woman demanded, narrowing tear-filled eyes at him. "Pitou's going with you right now." Then, she turned her gaze to the Chimera Ant. "Go before you force his hand in doing something he'll regret for the rest of his life. I'll take care of her."

"S-Sorry!" Komugi exclaimed, sensing the tension around her. "Am I interrupting something?"

Bleach sustained her staring contest with Pitou for one second more before lowering her eyes to her newest patient as a sigh left her lips. The Chimera Ant watched with wide and relief-filled eyes as the woman kneeled down in front of Komugi once again, reassuring her that everything was alright, but that she'd have to stick around with her for some time now.

Knowing Komugi was as safe as possible, Pitou returned her eyes to the enemy and nodded.

"Let's go."

Just before they left the room, a white-haired boy arrived at the scene, accompanied by the tall and shirtless man whom had demanded a fight from Pouf.

"Gon-" The man began. "-want me to use  _Chapter 7: Bankruptcy_  in Pitou? This way if she escapes we can track her time and she won't be able to fight back."

For what must've been the hundredth time in less than two minutes, Pitou felt the hair stand up all over her body. Just when she thought things could start to wander back into her control, something else happened and, from the words she had just heard, they could severely compromise her capacity to protect the King.

"Thank you, Knuckle. But it's okay. I trust Pitou…" The enemy spoke in an unfeeling voice as she watched every movement of his facial muscles. "Also, until Pitou and I have met with Kaito, keep an eye on the girl."

Pitou's breathing increased its tempo. The female Hunter had helped her to heal Komugi and done her best to contain the enemy's murderous intent to keep her safe, so the Chimera Ant felt safe enough leave Komugi under her care. But she knew nothing about these new arrivals and their intentions. They could harm and kill Komugi any moment.

The girl who meant so much to her King had just became the enemy's hostage.

"Once Pitou returns Kaito to us, we'll let her go." The enemy continued, eyes growing colder by the second. "I'm sure you'll trust me too, right? Pitou?"

* * *

The remaining members of Gon's party – Killua, Bleach, Knuckle, Ikalgo, Meleoron and a recovered, half-Chimera Ant Palm – alongside Komugi, stood on top of one of the palace's walls, watching Gon and Pitou run into the night, towards Kaito. Bleach and Knuckle kept their hands on Komugi's shoulders, as some sort of reassurance.

"You sure about this, Killua, Bleach?" Ikalgo asked. "You don't want to go with Gon?"

Killua answered that it was alright. They had decided it would be better that way, since the real trouble would only come if Pitou managed to capture either him or Bleach and demand to exchange them for Komugi.

It was true, but Bleach couldn't help but feel her heart clench a little, and she was sure Killua felt it too. They had gone there willing to do everything they could to keep Gon from breaking and failed. Something terrible was going to happen to their friend and they knew it.

_And we're fucking useless to do anything to prevent it._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are, lots of emotional turmoil for you to feast upon! The actual action will come next chapter. ;)
> 
> I hope you enjoyed reading Bleach's POV during the Chimera Ants arc. As always, I did my best not to make it just a repetition of we've already wacthed/read in the anime/manga. And please tell me what you think about the chapter :)
> 
> Kisses,  
> RedVoid
> 
> PS: I was checking something in the internet to decide the name of this chapter and found that a band I like (name's Angra and I really recommend you check their work, it's awesome) has a song called 'Storm of Emotions'. And then I settled for this title. XDXD


	41. Chimera Ants: Fighting An Inner Demon

They must be after Meleoron." Knuckle spoke. "Since he is a traitor, they must be coming to dispose of him."

Some minutes after Gon and Pitou's disappearance, the remaining members of the party - Killua, Bleach, Knuckle, Ikalgo Meleoron and Palm - found themselves in a circle, discussing what the sudden appearance of Pouf's clones searching the palace and the fast-approaching return of the still living King meant. Meleoron was keeping their presence concealed with his God's Accomplice ability.

"I don't think so." Bleach spoke, sparing a look at the girl – Komugi – on her back. "I think Pouf is after her. For some reason, she seems to be in the guy's hit list."

The thief thought it better not to reveal her theory that Komugi may have been making the King more humane. It would only increase the weight on their already damaged conscience and falter even further their resolve in fighting these increasily human-looking and human-behaving creatures and they couldn't afford that. It was already much too late for dialogues.

Killua nodded his agreement to Bleach's words. He felt in his gut that Komugi had something to do with everything that had not gone according to plan so far.

"Let's be sure then. Bleach, give her to me."

* * *

They've decided to give Pouf two choices: go into the open garage, wherein he'd believe Meleoron was, or go after Killua, whom was standing on top of one of the palace's walls, carrying Komugi on his back.

From her place, standing besides Palm at the garage's entrance, Bleach watched with unimpressed eyes as the Royal Guard chose the latter option and quickly flew towards the former assassin, trying to deliver a fatal blow to the boy. As expected, Killua was much too fast and easily avoided the attack in favour to jump off the palace's wall and started to flee from the palace with Pouf on his tow.

"Palm, let's go after them."

The dark-haired woman nodded and both ran in the direction Killua had gone to. Bleach didn't expect to catch up with his speed, but, if he and the Chimera Ant engaged in combat, she could reach them just in time to intervene.

* * *

They found Killua a couple of kilometres away from the palace, raising Komugi's unconscious body from the ground. Pouf was nowhere to be found.

"Killua!" Bleach called as she stopped in front of him, giving him a look-over to check for any injuries. "You okay, brat?"

"Yeah." The boy answered before turning to face the approaching Palm. "What's the King's status?"

"The King has arrived at the palace's entrance." Palm answered, right hand over her right eye. "We should circle around, following the wall, and hide in the crowd."

The three had just started to calmly walk to their desired destination when Killua asked the question Bleach had been avoiding since the beginning.

"How are Gon and Pitou?"

The tensing of the thief's body didn't go unnoticed by Killua or Palm, but they thought better not to say anything. Reassuring words would do the woman no good.

"…They just entered at the Peijing hiding place." Palm answered. "They're walking down a hallway."

Bleach felt cold sweat spring all over her body.  _Please, let Pitou be able to heal Kaito. If she isn't... I can't even imagine what's gonna happen._

* * *

Bleach ran was fast as she could.

The moment Palm checked upon Gon and told them that he was slumped down on the cold ground as Pitou healed herself, the thief had disappeared into the darkness of the night, sprinting towards the Peijing hiding place.

_I shouldn't have let him go alone! I fucking_ _knew I shouldn't have! I'm coming, Gon, so please be alive! PLEASE DON'T DIE!_

Bleach blinked tears out of her eyes and, next think she knew, she was no longer running with her own two legs; she couldn't be because the speed she was experience was something far beyond her abilities. As she watched blurs of trees and bushes pass her by, she understood she had been thrown over a small shoulder and was now being carried to Gon.

"Killua?"

The former assassin didn't answer. No explanations were needed; they both had the same goal: to save Gon.

Little did they know that Gon wouldn't die. But he wouldn't come out living either.

* * *

What both Hunters found was a large man with floating dark hair that was so long it seemed to reach the skies. He was crouched down by Pitou's corpse, punching her already pulverized skull deeper and deeper into the dirty. The Nen emanating from him was at the same time terrifying and heart-breaking.

"No…" Bleach whispered, watching with wide eyes full of sadness and guilt as the man landed one final blow to the Chimera Ant. "Please, no…"

Bleach knew Gon would do something stupid and it would be up for her and Killua to pick up the pieces. She had been ready for it. But this… This was too much. That power was too great, too cold –  _too unnatural_ – to be wielded by Gon. It should've taken decades of training for him to acquire such power.

…Or restrictions. Harsh, demanding and  _sacrificial_  restrictions.

"GON!"

As the woman screamed in despair, something broke inside her.

Maybe it was due to the strong emotions she was feeling. Maybe it was due to a still lingering exhaustion from spending so much time healing Komugi. Maybe it was due to the enormous Nen coming from the strange man that definetely wasn't Gon penetrating her Ken despite her best efforts. Most likely, it was because of everything combined.

Whatever the cause was, it was the result that mattered: once again, Namid's seal that kept Iadbo's Nen at bay inside Bleach's body broke, and he was none too slow to drag the woman's consciousness back into his domains.

She thought the Chimera Ants would be the worst of her problems? Well, Iadbo would show her what true terror was.

* * *

Once again, Bleach found herself plummeting down an endless, pitch-black abyss. Once again, she saw the promise of freedom in the shape of a purple platform, many, many metres below her. And, once again, Iadbo was determined to keep her from reaching it.

But this time she was ready. Scowl on her face and teary eyes narrowed, Bleach pushed all the thoughts about Gon from her mind and focused on the mission at hand: deal with Iadbo once and for all, so he'd never put himself between her and the boys' safety again.

As the Guardian of Darkness approached her, this time flying at an astounding speed instead of calmly floating, the thief focused purple eyes on its form, turning her body in the air so she could more easily dodge his incoming attack.

Unfortunately, Bleach didn't dispose of Killua's lightning speed so she couldn't completely avoid Iadbo's blow, allowing the claws of his right hand to graze the skin of her left side, leaving four long bleeding gashes there. As she continued to fall down, she tried to use Namid's Nen to heal said gashes, but nothing happened. Iadbo had locked her away from all of the other guardians' Nen.

_Coward piece of shit._

Clutching her left side with her right hand, Bleach finally reached that purple platform, falling down in a crouching position. She didn't allow herself to spend even a second there though and quickly leaped forwards, rolling on the colourful floor as Iadbo landed heavily on the plastform, claws digging into the spot she had previously occupied.

The thief tried to leap again, to put more distance between her and the murderous guardian, however something kept her on the floor: Iadbo's shadow had stretched out from his body and wrapped around her ankle, keeping her grounded and at easy reach.

She watched with wide and attentive eyes as the creature slowly stood up and turned towards her. Once more she could see a chain spring from his chest; link by link, it approached her at a foreboding pace.

" **There will be no escaping this time, Chosen One. You are mine now."**

The Guardian of Darkness smiled in a twisted sort of ecstasy as he spoke those words, purple eyes bright in anticipation as he stared at his Chosen One's defenceless form. The woman was trapped by his shadows, cradling her wounded side as she stared back at him with wide eyes that now mirrored his in colour.

Suddenly his smile dropped and his eyes glazed as the centuries-old memory of a little girl, scared to death, came to mind. She had white hair and black eyes, and was staring up at him much the same way the Chosen One was doing now; with fear in her eyes, but determined to fight until the end.

And fight Bleach would.

Despite the burning pain in her side, it was a good thing that Iadbo had made such deep gashes on her skin; it gave her a lot of blood to work with.

* * *

" _ **First things first. You have to decide what you wish to manipulate. And choose just ONE medium, alright? There's no use focusing on a lot of things because you'll need a lifetime to master each one."**_

" _If that's true, how can you manipulate both living tissues and others' Nen?"_

" _ **I'm not a weak human like you, dumbass. I have lifetimes to spare and train multiple media for my Nen. Now quit stalling and choose your medium. If you want to be prepared to fight Iadbo on your own we need to spend as much time training as possible. You might hold the advantage when it comes to absolute Aura quantity since his interference is the result of the little bit of his Nen inside you, but that doesn't mean it'll be easy. He has centuries of experience over you."**_

" _Hey, chill a little will you? How am I supposed to just choose my medium like that? I have to think and research about this stuff before making a decision that will permanently affect my power-limit."_

" _ **On the contrary. When it comes to Nen, most times it is better to follow your instincts and heart. There's no need to think hard about the matter. Just clear your mind and the medium which is best suited to you will reveal itself."**_

" _How do I know it's it?"_

" _ **You'll feel it. It's something that will never let you down, that, no matter what, will always be with you. It's something that has always been a part of you."**_

_Inside Namid's personal world, Bleach sat at the edge of one of the indigo pounds around, eyes closed as her feet swayed slowly inside the warm liquid, back and forth, back an-_

_A drop of warm liquid hit her left thigh, and she knew it wasn't anything that Namid had materialized. That one drop had come from herself._

_Bleach's momentarily indigo eyes opened, revealing her thighs, pressed together as her feet continued to sway gently in the water. As those eyes focused on the red circle adorning her left thigh, a smile stretched on her lips._

_At the same time the woman raised her left hand to her nose, she raised her head to stare into the large indigo eyes that belonged to Namid. The Guardian of Cure had a smirk that matched her own as she stared back at the thief from her place, atop the clear liquid of her pound._

" _Namid-" Bleach began as she cleaned the blood from her nose with the back of her hand. "-I know what medium I want."_

* * *

Blood had always been present in Bleach's life.

It had been there every time the Mafia flogged her for trying to escape. It had been there when Cressar raped her. It had been there time and time again during her drinking days, for reasons she didn't remember most of the time. It had been there when Ging trained her. It had been there during the Hunter Exam. It had been there as she travelled with Gon and Killua. It had been there when Illumi tried to manipulate her. It had been there when she tried to talk with Foog, Eglo and Iaro.

And it was there at the exact moment.

Her blood would always be there with her, remembering her of the pain.

But it also pushed her to keep fighting. That warm and scarlet liquid was full of life and a history of struggles, and it came from  _her_. She alone was the source of it and no one could take that from her. Possessions could easily be stolen, but your blood was yours during your whole life – it  _was_  your life, your survival. And if there was one thing Bleach was good on, it was surviving.

This situation with Iadbo would be no different.

As Iadbo fought against ancient thoughts that Bleach could only guess about, the thief crouched down to touch her bloodied hand on her ankle, right over the dark shadow encasing it. It didn't take long for her to make it release her.

Just as the guardian regained focus of his surroundings, his shadow recoiled from Bleach's now blood-covered skin, allowing the Hunter freedom of movement once again. And she used said freedom to charge towards him, bloodied hand stretched in front of her face, approaching his chest at a surprising speed.

However, before her hand could reach its destination, one of Iadbo's own hands, covered by his heavy and long-clawed gauntlets, slammed on her face and closed around her skull. It easily raised her in the air before diving to slam her head down on the floor.

Mid-way through the dive, Bleach maneuvered her body so her legs encircled the guardian's arm just below his shoulder as her arms held tightly the area of the appendage's wrist. Using Ko to increase her strength, Bleach pushed her body forward as much as she could, trying her hardest to bend the arm at an unnatural angle and break it.

Unfortunately for the thief, the desired sound of a bone breaking didn't echo through her ears as she had hoped it would; with or without Ko she wasn't strong enough to inflict that kind of damage on Iadbo's body.

However, the attack was painful enough to make the guardian let out a pained curse and release her head, allowing her to perform a back flip and put some distance between them once again.

Just as the thief's feet hit the floor, Iadbo turned his head to fix a murderous glare on her form. His Chosen One was as resourceful as ever, it seemed; no matter how many generations passed by, they always came with amazing survival instincts. Unfortunately, those instincts wouldn't save her this time. This was his long-awaited chance to obtain sweet, sweet revenge from the Castere and he would not waste it.

" **Running will do you no good."**  The Guardian of Darkness said in a slow and clear voice, allowing a smug smile to stretch on his lips. Bleach couldn't help but widen her eyes at noticing that the mask covering the creature's face moved, following his facial movements and revealing sharp canines.  **"We are bonded, you see."** One of his hands went to the chain growing from his chest, swinging it gently as yet another link was formed.  **"Once this chain is complete, there will be nothing capable of keeping you from me; our Nen will be linked forever. Do you understand what this means,** **my** **Chosen One? I will be free to touch you with my Aura in any way I please. You are meant to meet your end by my hands."**

Bleach's eyes narrowed. Iadbo had just confirmed her suspicion that the chain growing from his chest was what kept bringing her back to this place, what kept her under his influence. It most likely was the representation of the natural urge to connect that their Auras developed after centuries of being mingled as one.

She had to put an end to it.

Without bothering to respond to Iadbo's words, Bleach smeared the blood on both of her hands, absentmindedly noting that her wounds were almost healed – no matter what Iadbo had done to Namid's Nen, it seemed the Guardian of Cure was still helping her somehow.

Iadbo scowled at the lack of response and glared at the woman's fighting stance. It was time she gave in to him already and accepted her fate –  _their_  fate. She'd die by his hands, and so would he and all of the other guardians. With the death of the last Castere, the weapons that held them prisoners would slowly corrode and fade from existence, as would they.

But Iadbo didn't care; he'd been dead ever since the family he had loved and protected with an inhumanly fierce passion had betrayed and spurned him from their lives.

"Before it all goes down, let me just say something." Bleach spoke in an uncharacteristic appeasing voice, earning herself a curious look from the Guardian of Darkness. "I'm sorry for what the Castere did to you. They shouldn't have imprisoned you or the others inside those weapons like that."

Iadbo's eyes widened in surprise at hearing that and, for one moment, Bleach thought she saw sadness and love inside those purple orbs of his. However, that moment was over almost as soon as it began and the Guardian of Darkness was once again glaring at her with burning hatred and vengeance in his eyes as a booming war cry left his mouth.

Before the thief knew it, she was lying on the purple floor with a heavy and cold gauntlet-covered hand pressing down on her neck and chest, effortlessly keeping the air from entering her lungs. Iadbo's face glared down at her with an amalgam of emotions swimming in his glaring eyes.

And the chain coming from his chest fell over the hand pressing down on her; it was easily reachable.

Iadbo opened his mouth to say something and, while Bleach was deeply curious as to what it would be, she couldn't allow herself to lose the chance to finally end the ever-coming attempts against her life. With an apologetic look up to the guardian, the thief grabbed the chain coming from his chest with her bloodied hands.

Both seemed to freeze still as the blood on the woman's hands touched the cool metal of the chain. Neither dared to blink or breathe as the scarlet liquid moved up the chain at a rapid and seeming desperate pace, covering the surface of all the links until it reached the centre of the guardian's chest.

Then, the blood entered him, taking Bleach's Nen with it.

"I'm sorry." The Chosen One whispered as her regret-filled eyes turned from purple to rainbow. "But I won't let you kill me. This was the only way."

Iadbo moved his mouth but no words came out of it, only miserable choking sounds. They invaded Bleach's ears as the platform beneath her shattered in a million of bright purple shards.

It was a beautiful sight, the small purple fragments floating around the endless darkness to a silent melody. It was mesmerizing even.

But Bleach didn't notice it; she was too focused on the heart-breaking image of wide purple eyes staring at her with betrayal, pride, hatred, love, and regret in them.

* * *

Slowly, Bleach opened her eyes. She could see a white ceiling glaring down at her accusingly. Her head hurt and her lungs burned, but that was the minor of her concerns. The guilt flooding her entire being was much more worth of her while.

_You failed Gon and imprisoned Iadbo just like your not-family did years ago. You're pathetic._

"Ah, you're awake already."

Without bothering to answer, Bleach sat up on the bed and turned her body around so her feet were dangling off the mattress, facing her visitor.

"How's Gon? Is he..."

_-dead?_

The word didn't come out.

"…He's in pretty bad shape. The doctors have done everything they can, but he doesn't seem to recover. His body is nothing more than a rotting shell now. No one understands how he's still alive."

The news were bad, forebodingly so. But they made Bleach's eyes shine with hope and determination and she immediately pulled the IV tubes from her arm and jumped off the bed. The thief scanned the room with her eyes and soon found what she was looking for: a pair of sneakers and a fresh change of clothes laying on a chair by the foot of her bed. Unminding that she wasn't alone in the room, Bleach hasitly exchanged her hospital-gown for the pair of blue jeans and the black tank top with hasty movements. Then, she turned to the man with demanding eyes.

"Take me to him. Now."

Knov sighed and nodded his head in agreement as he stood up from the chair he was occupying. Bleach wasted no time in marching towards the door.

"Before we go-" The Hunter began, making Bleach pause with her hand on the doorknob. "- there is a pair of brown contacts inside the bathroom for you."

The thief's eyes widened at hearing that and she quickly scurried into the bathroom, only to find that indeed her eyes were uncovered, revealing to the world their rainbow colour.

"Fuck!"

The woman tried to put on the contacts with desperate speed but, despite having years of practice, she failed time and time again. Her hands were shaking too bad.

"Don't worry." Knov called from outside. "Besides the doctor that attended to you, only me, Morau and Killua know about your eyes. And Morau has already made sure that the doctor won't breathe a word about them to anyone. Your secret is safe."

Bleach allowed a relieved sigh to escape her lips at hearing that and forced herself to take in some deep breaths, slowly willing her hands to stop shaking so she could finally put on her contacts. She felt her shoulders relax as soon as she was able of staring into the familiar fakely brown orbs through the mirror. From the corner of her eye she could see Knov's beaten form standing by the door, waiting patiently for her.

"Thank you." The woman said, rolling her shoulders back and turning to face the other Hunter. "Now let's go."

Gon was alive, which meant Bleach hadn't failed him yet. She still could pick up the pieces of the broken boy and bring him back to her, to Killua, to his Mito-san and to everyone else that had come in contact with the boy.

_Don't worry, Gon. I got this._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's the end of the Chimera Ants arc! I hope it was all that you expected. =.= Any thoughts about Bleach and Iadbo's fight? :)
> 
> Next chapter we go into Nanika's arc. Can you all believe we're already so close to the end of the anime's story? O.o
> 
> Kisses,  
> RedVoid
> 
> PS: about Bleach using blood as her Manipulation medium. Before I wrote this chapter, I've watched a funny trailer on youtube about the Bloodborne game (btw, it was in the Smosh Games channel and I really recommed their videos; they are really funny) and there was a small bit of a guy repeating the word "blood" over and over again. Since I had no better idea for her medium, I ended up taking that as a sign and made her work with blood. XDXD


	42. Nanika: Going To War

_How's Gon? Is he..."_

_-dead?_

_The word didn't come out._

_"…He's in pretty bad shape. The doctors have done everything they can, but he doesn't seem to recover. His body is nothing more than a rotting shell now. No one understands how he's still alive."_

_The news were bad, forebodingly so. But they made Bleach's eyes shine with hope and determination and she immediately pulled the IV tubes from her arm and jumped off the bed. The thief scanned the room with her eyes and soon found what she was looking for: a pair of sneakers and a fresh change of clothes laying on a chair by the foot of her bed. Unminding that she wasn't alone in the room, Bleach hasitly exchanged her hospital-gown for the pair of blue jeans and the black tank top with hasty movements. Then, she turned to the man with demanding eyes._

_"Take me to him. Now."_

* * *

On their way to Gon, Bleach and Knov came upon Killua. The boy was sitting on a lonely bench just outside the brunette's room, staring into it through the glass on the wall with miserable eyes.

The white-haired Hunters didn't exchange any words, but Bleach couldn't help but pat the boy's head in a reassuring manner as she passed him by to enter Gon's room.

The woman understood it all too well, that sadness from watching their friend all but kill himself and not doing anything about it. Both had wanted nothing more than to help Gon fight Pitou, but the brunette had wanted the Chimera Ant all for himself and he'd never forgive them if they took it away from him.

_Somehow, that thought doesn't make me feel any less guilty._

* * *

"Bleach, correct?" The doctor inside Gon's room asked. "I've been told that you'd come, that you have some special abilities. Do you think you can heal him?"

The woman didn't bother to answer and just sat down on the chair at the boy's bedside, pulling the covers from his bandaged chest and laying her hands on it. She felt her heart clench as she finally dared to focus her gaze and take in Gon's form. His skin was charred black, his flesh had practically disappeared from his bones, and the smell of death and decay was all around him.

But his heart was still beating-

Warm, indigo light surrounded the woman's hands and seeped into Gon.

-and Bleach would keep it that way.

* * *

_**There's no use.** _

_Shut up._

_**I'm really sorry, Bleach. But it's too much for us.** _

_I said. Shut. Up._

_**Please stop. You've been trying to heal this boy for five hours now. Your body can't waste anymore Aura. You're going to kill yourself if you keep this up.** _

_I don't care! I need to save him!_

_**And you will, but not this way! Bleach, stop it.** _

_No. I won't give up on him._

_**Bleach. Bleach! BL-** _

* * *

"BLEACH!"

A sharp pain exploded on Bleach's right cheek as she fell from the chair and hit the floor roughly.

Eyes wide and filled with tears raised to the figure standing tall right in front of her, to the sapphire eyes staring down at her with the same pain and self-loathing she was feeling at the moment.

"Killua…" The name was called in a soft whisper as the thief tried to control her hard breathing. "I… Fuck, I… I don't think I can help him! I… I'm trying… But Namid says… I… I CAN'T HEAL HIM!"

The words left the woman in a desperate scream as she pulled on her hair, asking herself what had it all been for? All of those hours spent training to perfect her healing Nen… they meant nothing if she couldn't save Gon. She should've trained with Foog and Trera and Iaro. Should've perfected her fighting powers and followed after Gon when he left to fight with Pitou.  _She_ should've killed that fucking Chimera Ant. Gon would most likely end up hating her, but he'd still be alive.

_I fucked up. I fucked up so much… What am I going to do? What a-_

Once again, Bleach was taken from her thoughts by the feeling of another person touching her. But, instead of delivering another slap to her face, Killua opted for dropping on his knees in front of her and encircling her waist with his arms as his chin rested on one of her shoulders. He felt the woman's tears fall on his shirt at the same moment his own fell on hers.

"We'll save him, Bleach. This will be just like all the other times. Gon charging against the enemy without a second thought to anything, and us trailing behind to clean his mess."

"But how? Namid isn't strong enough to save him. And the doctors can't do anything to help." Bleach whispered with despair coating her voice.

However, to the boy's relief, he could detect a hint of hope and eagerness in it as well. She wasn't broken.

"I know someone who can heal him." Killua answered, pulling back so he could look into the woman's eyes and for a moment was taken aback by how amazingly expressive they were, despite being covered by dull, brown-coloured contacts. "I have another sibling, a sister. She'll be able to help us."

"Ho-"

"Trust me. She can do it." The former assassin interrupted with finality. "However, we'll need to rescue her from my house."

The Hunter couldn't help but furrow her eyebrows. "Rescue her?"

Killua let out a sigh and a cloud of sadness and guilt suddenly shadowed his sapphire eyes.

"I'll explain everything to you." The boy whispered. "But not here. Once we're on our way there. I promise."

Forcing her misery and self-loathing back down her throat, Bleach immediately stood up from the floor, ready to go. Killua said he could save Gon and she didn't need more than that. Even if the boy had denied to explain anything to her at all, she'd still believe and follow him. She trusted him.

"Let's go then." The woman spoke, offering her hand to the boy and smirking down at him in her usual cocky manner. "Let's save Gon."

Killua smiled back at his friend and allowed her to help him to his feet. He didn't thank her. He didn't  _need_  to; they were friends.

* * *

The white-haired Hunters were one-step away from leaving the hospital when Morau approached them.

"If you two need anything – and I mean  _anything_  – we'll provide it. There's no limit to what we can do if it means saving Gon's life." The Sea Hunter spoke to them before settling his sunglasses covered eyes solely on Bleach. "Bleach. Before you go, I think I should tell you. Ging Freecs… he is in town, in the Hunters Association HQ."

The woman's eyes doubled, if not tripled their size at hearing that and for a moment Morau feared she'd attack him, foaming at the mouth as she demanded answers of 'Where? Why? How? Since when?'. To his surprise and relief, the woman did no such thing. Instead, her eyes suddenly narrowed to suspicious slits.

"Does he know?" The woman demanded in a poisonous voice, fists tightening at her sides. "Does he know Gon is here, close to death?"

Morau saw himself incapable and, truth be told, unwilling to lie.

"Yes."

Killua's eyes zeroed on Bleach's face, curious as to how she'd react. The former assassin may not have been able to grasp the extension of Bleach's feelings regarding Gon's father but he was no idiot; he knew the woman cared about Ging Freecs, the man she'd been searching for years. Maybe she cared even more than Gon himself did. And Killua couldn't keep the empathy from his eyes as he watched the woman's orbs lose all traces of warmth and hope in them and, for one second, he feared that the revelation of Ging's neglect had broken her.

Then, her eyes were set alight with renewed fire, stoked by rage, despise and a violent sort of dismissal as she spat on the ground.

"You know what?  _Fuck. Ging._ If he can ignore Gon when he most needs him, I want nothing to do what that piece of trash. He can rot for all I care." Eyes still ablaze, she turned to Killua. "Let's go, brat. Someone has to be the adult here and fix this mess." Then, she turned her back to Morau and the hospital and stomped away.

Killua couldn't keep the small, amused and yet relieved, smile from stretching on his lips as he turned to follow her.

"And to think that  _you_  are one of the most qualified for the task… We're all doomed."

"I heard that!"

* * *

When Milluki had sent footage of Killua alive, well and, most important, away from the Republic of East Gorteau and the Chimera Ants, Illumi actually allowed himself to close his eyes and sigh with relief, for once not caring that there were people surrounding him. He wasn't wearing his own face anyway, opting for a more mature and yet refined look for the occasion.

The assassin had just finished a job and was sitting at a secluded booth in a very high-class Gentlemen's Club, waiting for his client to come so he could deliver the news of his success in person, alongside a right molar of the victim, as requested.

"Can I bring you anything, sir?"

Illumi opened his eyes but didn't bother to look at the source of the feminine voice at his right. He had already checked all of the women in the place and, though all were astoundingly beautiful, none had really caught his eye, as usual. Well, if he was to be completely honest, one waitress with white hair had earned herself a second look, but upon further examination Illumi moved on as well. Her eyes were too dull, her lips too thin, her hair too long and her body too soft.

Still, he figured she could do; Bleach had been the last woman he had taken to bed and a long enough time had passed since that. He could use some company for the night.

That thought died a couple of minutes ago, as soon as the small screen of his cell phone showed his Killu walking out of the back seat of a black Jeep. His little brother's situation was much worthier of his attention at the moment -  _at every moment_.

"No."

"Very well, sir. If you need anything, don't hesitate to call."

As the sound of the woman's 6 inch pumps faded away, the image of a seemingly mutated Palm Siberia leaving the car greeted his vision and, following her, a short… creature, with an extremely large and rounded head.

The three turned their heads, just in time to see another black car, an Audi this time, park right behind them. From the back seat of said car, a shirtless man with black hair that was styled in a shape Illumi could classify only as ridiculous came out. And he was carrying – cradling, really – Bleach's unconscious form in his arms.

Killua wasted no time in walking to the man and touching the woman's face with concern overflowing from his large, blue eyes.

" _She looks better."_

" _Yeah; the colour is returning to her face. Whatever happened to her seems to be over now."_

There was no sound coming out from his phone, but Illumi could read their lips and hear their words as if they were being screamed in his ears and it took everything the assassin had not to widen his eyes in surprise.

_What the-?_

" _This is the hospital."_ The man spoke, staring ahead of him.  _"Gon and the others are here."_

Illumi watched his Killu turn his eyes from the woman to the building and open his mouth to speak-

What words were said he would never know, for at that exact time, his client chose to show up with a lecherous smile on his face as he eyed one of the scantily dressed waitresses up and down.

"I really love how willing you are to accommodate my preferences."

* * *

The final transactions and agreements were made quickly and in hushed tones, and Illumi was all too eager to stand up and leave, almost desperate to find out what was going on with his little brother and Bleach and that "friend" of theirs, Gon Freecs.

"It was a pleasure doing business with you. If you ever require future assistance in matters such these, I hope you'll call me and my family again. We'll happily attend to your demands."

"Oh, you're leaving already?" The man spoke, not bothering to turn his eyes from the dancer on the stage. "Why don't you stay and enjoy yourself a little? I'm sure one of the girls here has caught your eye. My treat."

"Thank you for the offer, but I must refuse. I have business to attend to."

"Business can always wait for such beautiful women."

"No." Illumi answered firmly, remembering Killua's sad and concerned expression while staring at Bleach's unconscious form. "It can't."

* * *

"Killua, Bleach and Gon also joined the hunt to the Chimera Ants. Gon's on the verge of death and Killua and Bleach went to speak to my father."

"What did you say?"

Illumi stared down at Hisoka with inexpressive eyes and, for a moment, wondered if the clown was truly surprised by the news or just pretending. While he was sure Hisoka wouldn't spare at second glance to a newspaper or even the news channel, he could've still received word about what Killu and the others were doing in the Republic of East Gorteau. Bleach could've told him.

"Illumi. What are you talking about?"

"Maybe you should try calling Bleach? She has more details about what happened and she might just be willing to share them, if it's with you." The assassin spoke in a seeming bored tone before shrugging his shoulders, as if dismissing the subject completely. "But, the details don't matter at the moment. At this rate, the three of them will die."

Despite his lack of understanding of the meaning behind Illumi's words, Hisoka could fully grasp the seriousness of the matter. Instinctively, he stood up and regarded the assassin with a dead-serious expression that just didn't feel right in his face.

"Explain clearly."

_First, what you mean about those three dying. Then, what kind of influence you think I have over Bleach._

* * *

"I'm thinking that this wish will require tens of thousands of lives. So you'll probably die as well, Hisoka."

The redhead in question loved to battle strong opponents and, as such, was used to risk his life; more than that, he  _thrived_ on it. However, hearing that his life might end in a near future, without him even having the chance to fight for it made an unwelcomed and uncomfortable chill run down his spine.

"That's a problem…" Hisoka murmured, turning his face away from Illumi and not resisting the urge to take a large gulp of the whisky in his hand.

"Yes." The assassin agreed, staring out the window in front of them. "And it surprises me that Bleach is helping Killu. She's not very bright, but she should've understood that helping him would not only be useless, since Gon is bound to die either way, but harmful towards her as well."

Momentarily forgetting his impending doom, Hisoka turned suspicious eyes to Illumi's profile.

"It's the second time you've mentioned her."

"If we can convince her to help us stop Killu, we'll easily be able to dispose of Alluka." Illumi explained matter-of-factly. "Not only would Killu lose a resourceful ally, but he would be very shaken about her betrayal."

_This time, for real._

"I doubt it'll happen. She doesn't trust nor like me much." Hisoka spoke with a fake, dramatic sigh. "Such a pity really. We could be such  _good_  friends…"

Not betraying any of the thoughts running through his mind, Illumi stared at Hisoka from the corner of his eye. The clown had crossed his arms over the table and laid his chin on them as he returned Illumi's stare with a perverted grin on his lips.

"Do you know what I'm talking about, Illumi~?" The words came out teasing and knowingly, as if Hisoka had a secret only he knew.

"Yes, and I know that you two already are  _very_  good friends." The assassin stated in that usual neutral and unaffected voice of his.

"Why, when you say it like this it seems that you're insinuating our relationship goes deeper than an innocent friendship~."

Illumi had to resist the urge to scowl at the redhead. The fact that Hisoka was listed higher than him in Bleach's list was irritating enough without the clown teasing him about it. And now really wasn't the time for guessing games.

Without a word, Illumi retrieved his phone and put it on the table close to Hisoka, allowing the man to stare at a picture of himself. Naked, and hard.

"Illumi~!" The clown sang, sitting up on his stool as he raised amused and excited eyes to the assassin's emotionless ones. "You naughty boy, taking these kind of pictures of me in secret. If you wanted some R-rated material, all you had to do was ask~. I would've been happy to send you pictures like that. Even videos if you wanted~."

Not one of the assassin's facial muscles twitched, but he felt his irritation with the clown reach a whole new level.

"Bleach sent these to me." Illumi spoke curtly, pocketing his phone once again.

Hisoka's perverted smile widened and, despite the strong urge to further tease his black-haired associate, he proceeded to undo the misunderstanding that had formed in the assassin's brain.

"Soap took those pictures in Greed Island, when she and the boys found me bathing in a lake. She really enjoyed looking, but didn't seem too keen on touching. Such a pity~."

The glass of whisky in Illumi's hand paused mid-way up to his mouth as the words sunk in. "I see…"

That conniving woman. Bleach had never been intimate with Hisoka – had never  _wanted_  to be intimate with him – but that didn't stop her from making him believe she had. What for though? Did she want to make him jealous? No, probably not. This sort of manipulation didn't fit her personality and, if she had truly wanted to do so, she would've milked those picture and their implications much better than she did. Actually, now that he thought about it, she hadn't exploited the topic of her supposed affair with Hisoka at all; she only sent those pictures under the illusion of sending erotic photos of herself. Even when they got together again and Illumi asked if she truly wanted to be with him and not someone else, she didn't mention the pictures.

_She didn't even remember them. Only I occupied her thoughts at the time._

It brought great satisfaction, knowing that Bleach had been focused only on him ever since their first consensual tryst. But he didn't show it.

"Too bad." The assassin commented in a bored tone. "We could've used her attraction to you in our advantage."

"Well, why don't we use her attraction to  _you~_?" Hisoka asked, turning his body on the stool so he was completely facing Illumi now, elbow propped on the bar and cheek laying on his hand. The perverted smile never left his face. "Something tells me she did much more than looking when it came to you."

Illumi turned his head to face him as well, looking as stoic as ever, before turning to stare out of the window again.

"Maybe."

Hisoka feared his face would split in half at how wide his grin had grown.

_Soap, Soap… I knew you were hiding some serious gossip from me in Greed Island, but I never imagined it would be_ _**this** _ _juicy!_

"Keep going!" Hisoka urged excitedly, like a schoolgirl talking about boys. "I want to know all the sordid details~!"

Illumi used everything he had not to scoff at the clown. As if he'd ever disclose the details of his relations with Bleach to the pervert.

"I have nothing to tell you." Illumi stated matter-of-factly as he raised his glass to his lips once again. "We won't be able to use Bleach through me. Whatever influence I had over her, sexual or not, is over now."

That particular reminder somehow made the liquor taste even bitterer than it already was. To think Bleach had started to care about him emotionally at one point, and now would do anything to avoid his touch and presence again… It was something worth to change, if he ever had the time.

"Illumi~! You can't reveal such sweet gossip and not give me the details~." Hisoka whined. "Who knows? Knowing how you seduced our little Soap might help me convince Machi to go out on that dinner with me~."

"The only way that woman would ever consider you, is if you were born again with Kuroro Lucifer's appearance and personality."

Hisoka opened his mouth but, before he could resume his whining, Illumi wheeled the conversation back to the original –  _important_  – topic: Alluka. It surprised him how quickly the redhead became serious again; he really was eager on fighting that Gon kid.

_Too eager._

Inside the assassin, distrust coiled like a snake, ready to attack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Illumi is back! And I sure hope not OOC... I always find it difficult to show progression on his "feelings" torwards Bleach and manage to keep him fully IC =.=  
> And Hisoka! For some reason I've always pictured him as an incorrigible gossiper. XDXD
> 
> Anyway, please let me know what you think about them and the chapter itself! ;)
> 
> Kisses,
> 
> RedVoid


	43. Nanika:  You May Have Won The Battle But-

_"We'll need to rescue her from my house."_

_"Rescue her?"_

_"I'll explain everything to you. But not here. Once we're on our way there. I promise."_

_"Let's go then. Let's save Gon."_

* * *

Bleach easily followed Killua through the Doors of Verification and into the Zoldyck estate, up until the butlers' quarters. There, they found Kanaria waiting for them with a no-nonsense look on her face.

"Killua-sama, your parents are waiting for you." The young butler spoke. "But they gave me orders not to allow Bleach-sama to move beyond this point."

Both Hunters exchanged a meaningful look that prompted the butler to tense her muscles, ready for a fight; however, all they did was nod at each other before Killua continued on his way to the main house and Bleach calmly walked to the small butler, offering her an amused smirk.

"Bet you didn't think it'd be so easy."

Kanaria nodded in agreement, moving to lead the woman inside their quarters.

"We may not have met last time you came here, but I was told that you could be somewhat brash."

Bleach snorted. "That couldn't be more wrong. I'm actually pretty keen on biding my time and taking action at just the right moment. And we really can't afford to waste a second more than necessary. Also…" Then, the woman's smirk dropped altogether, giving place to a solemn expression and the next words came in such a low whisper that Kanaria almost wasn't able to hear. "I really don't think I'd like what I'd find up there. Caging people, treating them like things… it makes me sick."

Hands on the doorknobs, the young butler tensed at what those words implied regarding the depth of the woman's knowledge regarding Alluka-sama and her powers.

"You… shouldn't talk so freely about these matters." Kanaria answered in an equally low voice, not moving her gaze from the door right in front of her. "If the wrong person hears this, it could bring trouble for Killua-sama."

"I know." Bleach answered in a dismissive tone, moving so she was standing by the butler's side and could smirk down at her. "I also know you're not the wrong person."

For a brief second, Kanaria felt one of the corners threaten to curl up.

"I ask you, please, not to assume the same about anyone else, Bleach-sama."

"As long as you drop the 'sama' shit. It's annoying..."

* * *

Bleach had spent a grand total of five minute inside the butlers quarters, installing Killua's videogame like the boy had done the last time. Not that she had actually enjoyed losing for the brat so many times in a row, but, if she was to wait for what could be hours until he convinced his father to let them take Alluka to Gon, she was going to occupy her time with something.

The Hunter had just fist-bumped the air as the TV screen lit up with the console's logo when Kanaria knocked on the door.

"Bleach, may I come in?"

"Yeah, yeah." The thief answered absent-mindedly, looking down at the controller in her hands and wondering what buttons she was supposed to press to get the game started.

The young butler walked in the room, only to find the grown woman sitting cross-legged on the floor not one metre away from the screen, glaring down at the controller in her hands as if it was the origin of all of her problems.

She wondered if Killua-sama was as safe in her company as she had previously thought.

"Bleach-" Kanaria began, pushing her thoughts away. "-Zeno-sama is requesting your presence in the main building. I am to escort you there immediately."

With a fresh scowl on her lips, Bleach raised her face to Kanaria.

"You couldn't have said it before I got this…  _thing_  installed?"

* * *

Bleach was lead to the main house, to the same lounge in which she and Zeno had talked the first time shehad been there. Said man was sitting on the middle of a couch, nursing a cup of tea in his hands.

"So, you and my grandson wish to use Alluka's abilities to save your friend." The assassin spoke in a tired voice, just as Bleach finished closing the door behind herself.

It wasn't a question, so Bleach didn't bother answering. She just walked to the armchair standing at the sofa's right and sat down, waiting patiently for Zeno to sip his tea and continue talking.

"Do you know the consequences that using Alluka's powers will entail?"

_Yes. None at all._

"Not really." The thief lied, shrugging her shoulders in a nonchalant manner. "Killua said he couldn't tell me everything, but he assured me it was safe."

"And you trust my grandson's words to that extend?"

"Yes." Bleach answered immediately, slightly narrowing her eyes at the old man. "Maybe you should too."

Zeno returned Bleach's slightly aggressive stare with an impassive one, as if appraising the woman in front of him. It wasn't too far-fetched to believe she was speaking the truth as to not knowing the extension of Alluka's powers; she had spent more than an year in his grandson's company, so it wasn't hard to believe she had developed a deep enough trust in him to fully believe his words of reassurance. However the same could be said about Killu; the boy had grown extremely attached to his friends in this last year – as seen in his desperate attempt in saving Gon – and Zeno doubted he'd want to keep secrets from said friends.

_She's lying. Killua has told her everything he knows about Alluka's powers._

And still she was helping him, as if the consequences to her and her friends' lifes were of little importance.

_This thief is many a thing, but not reckless. She knows when to back down._

It was reassuring, knowing that someone besides his grief-driven grandson found it appropriate to use Alluka's powers. While Zeno was relatively certain that Killua wouldn't hesitate in sacrificing his life for Gon's, he doubted Bleach would allow him to do so. If she was helping Killua, it was because she was certain there were no risks for him.

_There are more rules to Alluka's powers. Rules no one knows about but Killu… and her._

"Maybe you're right." The assassin agreed, holding back a sigh of relief at knowing his grandson's life was safe. "I should trust my grandson more."

At once, Bleach dropped her glare and blinked confused at the man in front of her before allowing a cocky smirk to stretch on her lips.

"I'm always right. The sooner you all understand this, the easier things will be."

Zeno smirked in amusement and raised his cup of tea to his mouth once again but didn't sip it just yet.

"Something tells me nothing will be easy from now on. For you, that is."

Bleach furrowed her brows in confusion and was about to demand what did the assassin mean by that but, before any words could leave her lips, Kanaria knocked on the door.

"Bleach, would you please come with me? We must meet with Killua-sama outside of the main compound in the next thirty minutes, else he'll kill his mother."

The woman's jaw dropped as she stared at the door. Then she turned her head back to Zeno to ask what the hell all that was about but, at finding the old man calmly sipping his tea, she decided not to even bother. He had that 'I'm-done-talking-have-a-good-day-bye' look on his face that announced to the world he was done dealing with other people's shit.

Without words and with a scowl on her lips, Bleach stood up from her armchair and stalked out of the lounge, internally smirking at the fact the old man hadn't noticed that one of the dragon statues on her way was now missing a ruby eye.

* * *

"So you're the Coin Guy that Leorio disliked so much last time we were here?" Bleach asked, giving a side-glance at glasses-wearing butler.

"My name is Gotoh." The butler answered, pushing said glasses up the bridge of his nose. "And you're the insufferable thief who sneaked into the Zoldyck manor and tried to steal my masters' belongings."

"Hey! That  _is_  me." The thief confirmed with a falsely sweet smile. "Didn't know I had become so popular."

Gotoh regarded the woman for some moments more before turning his eyes away as an artery started to pulse on his forehead. "I don't like you. And I don't like that Zeno-sama allowed us to give you full clearance regarding anything related to Alluka-sama's powers."

"Then cry. But I want to see tears." Bleach mocked before also turning her eyes away from the butler at her side and settling them on the little girl holding Killua's hand. Her eyes and smile softened at the high concentration of cuteness in that little being. "So you're Alluka, huh? Nice to meet you. My name is Bleach."

"You're a friend of my Onii-chan?"

"Yep. The smart one."

"Tsk. You wish." Killua scoffed.

Bleach scowled at the boy but chose not to engage in another of their usual bickering in favour of asking why the hell those butlers were going to go with them to heal Gon.

"This way I don't have to ask permission every time I do something. While we're traveling, they'll hand the arrangements."

"I understand why I'm here." Gotoh spoke. "But why Kanaria too?"

"Moooron!" Killua let out, pointing an accusing finger to Gotoh. "Alluka is a  _girl_. I can't trust an old man like you to take care of her! And Bleach isn't much better either."

"Hey!" The thief protested. "I resent that. I'm perfectly capable of dealing with whatever girl's problems that come our way. Not that I think that there will be many, since Alluka is still young and haven't menstr-"

"SHUT UP!" Killua exclaimed instinctively, face growing beet-red as he glared up at the thief. "I don't want to hear about this kind of stuff!"

"Do grow up, brat." Bleach scoffed. "It happens with every woman and not one of them enjoys having to tip-toe around the subject to spare men's ridiculous embarrassment regarding the matter."

"That's why I can't let you take care of Alluka! You're too crude and she's too young for that!"

The thief opened her mouth, ready to retort, but a new voice, feminine and yet grave, coming from some metres forwards interrupted her. The whole party turned their attention to the approaching figures; an enormous old lady, and a much smaller young woman.

"Don't worry." The elder woman said. "We shall also accompany you. Silva-sama didn't believe two butlers would be enough."

Bleach lowered her gaze to Killua to ask who those were and couldn't help but raise a curious and yet amused eyebrow at what she saw. The boy seemed petrified as he whispered the woman's name: Tsubone.

_Killua… has some serious issues with older women._

* * *

After a bone-chilling request made from Nanika to Tsubone and the later opting for traveling out of the girl's sight, the party soon entered a car that would take them to the airport. Alluka was sitting in-between Bleach and Killua, cheerfully showing the woman the many apps in her tablet as the boy entertained himself with his own device. When Killua's phone rang and Gotoh picked it up, no one batted an eye.

When Leorio's loud voice came from the speaker, the former assassin picked up the phone.

"Send my regards to the old man." Bleach spoke between chuckles, not raising her eyes from Alluka's tablet as the little girl played a strange game about using birds as ammunition to murder green pigs. "And tell him to give the phone to Morau. He'll manage to deal with anything your butlers send his way."

* * *

A few minutes after the matters were dealt with, Killua opened a video stream in his tablet that showed Leorio sucker punching Ging's face. Bleach felt an immense satisfaction at seeing that bastard get punched in the face after dismissing Gon like that. Despite that, a small part of her also felt like skinning Leorio alive for daring to punch Ging - that was  _her_  privilege.

With a forced smirk on her lips, Bleach scoffed and laid back on the car's seat with her eyes closed, as if relishing in the fact the she had been able to see Ging's face again, even if only through a small screen. In the background, the video played on repeat in Killua's hands and still held the attention of the other people in the backseat of the car.

Until Gotoh's phone started to ring and the butler answered it.

"Illumi-sama… Yes, at once. Please wait."

Everyone in the car tensed and, instinctively, Bleach's arm encircled Alluka's shoulders until her hand was laying atop one of Killua's. The boy paid it no mind as he retrieved the phone from Gotoh's hand.

"Kill? Me?"

As those words left Killua's lips, Runvle's mirror materialized in Bleach's free hand.

"I'll beat you in your own game." Killua promised, glaring murderously at the device in his hand.

The world seemed to still for a moment.

Then, everything was chaos.

Bleach saw the truck appear as if out of thin air and immediately pulled Alluka on her lap and Killua flush to her side so she could use Runvle's power to involve the three of them in a protective shield as Kanaria tried to maneuver their car away from danger. Danger that now was composed by all the cars close to their limo, as they slammed on their vehicle, trying to get them off road.

Another truck, loaded with iron beams, managed to do so and Bleach pulled both Killua and Alluka even closer to herself and thickened the shield around them as the beams inside the truck perforated their car, coming too close to the children for her comfort.

As they trashed from side to side inside the limo plummeting down to a thick forest, Bleach's narrowed eyes caught Illumi's form standing atop the hill they had just fell off from. He seemed as impassive as ever, even though he had just tried to kill a little girl – his  _sister -_  who had done nothing to him or anyone from his family.

_That piece of shit! How can he do something like that!_

The woman might've just met Alluka, but she saw a lot of herself in that little girl. Alone and vulnerable, having no choice but to follow people's commands as her life was threatened by someone much more powerful than herself. It made white hot anger boil in Bleach's chest and she vowed to do whatever she could to help Killua free Alluka from the Zoldycks.

* * *

As soon as Killua took off with Alluka, using Kanmuru to lose the butlers, Bleach jumped back and disappeared in the forest's shadows before starting to run back to the road. She knew Killua was going to the airport in Parasta city and, if she wanted to be there by the time he arrived, she'd need a vehicle.

Good thing that not for a moment did she believe they'd manage to leave easily Kukuroo Mountain. If she had, she wouldn't have had Morau get someone to hide a Suzuki Hayabusa – a motorcycle that could give even Killua a run for his money – inside a hidden hole on the side of Kukuroo Mountain, close to its roads.

With a smirk on her face, Bleach retrieve her phone and checked for the motorcycle's coordinates.

_Not 7 kilometres away. This must be my lucky day._

* * *

Despite having the powerful motorcycle beneath her, Bleach didn't manage to beat Killua to the airport.

"You're late." The boy announced between harsh breaths as he and Alluka watched Bleach climb down the bike.

"How late?"

"57 seconds."

All the thief could do was give the boy a withering look.

"Now let's go inside." Killua panted. "Get those airships on the air already."

* * *

"We've been waiting for you."

If the situation was any less serious, Bleach would've laughed at Killua's expression at finding that Kanaria and Amane were already in the airport, waiting for them. Instead, she just smirked in amusement and pulled Alluka softly by the hand so they could sit down and wait for them to sort things out.

As soon as Kanaria and Amane turned their back on them to arrange the airships, Killua nodded towards the exit, signalling for them to follow him out.

Two airships were already reserved for them. Killua and Alluka would take one and go to Gon, while Bleach would use the other as decoy.

* * *

The thief honestly thought the worst had passed already. She honestly thought Illumi would've understood he had lost at seeing 9 different airships leave Parasta's airship at the same time.

That was why, when her own airship's controls suddenly went haywire and the flying vehicle began to plummet down to the ground, she couldn't be more shocked.

Cursing the assassin to hell and back, Bleach tore open the airship's door and jumped out, using the strong flames of Foog's chakrams as a propelling mechanism to cushion her fall. Once safe, Bleach watched the airship finish its descent, hitting the ground with a big explosion not three kilometres away from her.

Bleach thought about reaching for her phone but she suddenly felt a very familiar presence right behind her and it prompted her to abort her action before even beginning it, in favour of jumping away from  _him_  with Foog's chakrams in each of her hands.

However, before her feet could hit the ground, hands encircled her wrists and gripped hard, pressing down on her nerves in a way that made her fingers let go of the weapons. The attacker pushed forwards hard and fast, making Bleach's back slam roughly on a tree. Then, he raised her wrists above her head, so high she had no choice but to stand on her tiptoes.

"Fancy seeing you here,  _lovely_. Especially since, last I saw you, you were half-naked and alone, and my Killu was out for your head."

The woman smirked as her burning eyes rose to Illumi's seemingly unaffected ones. But she knew better, she knew how irritated - if not downright angry - the assassin must've been feeling at finding he had been played for a fool by her and Killua, in his own game nonetheless. Still, she believed she could dig a little deeper.

"The brat loves me too much to hurt me." She taunted, widening her smirk. "More than he has ever loved you."

The Hunter clenched her jaw tight to keep herself from gasping in pain as Illumi's hold on her wrists tightened to the point of breaking bones – something that was immediately fixed by Namid. She used that sudden moment of anger to summon Runvle's mirror, making it appear behind her - fitting it between the fabric of her pants and the skin of her lower back – without the assassin noticing it.

"So violent…" The woman breathed out, forcing herself to give the assassin yet another mocking smirk. "Makes me wonder why I ever bothered wasting my time with a shit like you. In the end you're just like any other man; selfish and controlling."

That was a cheap blow to the man's masculinity and in all honesty, the thief didn't think it would work. But, to her surprise, the man's grip on her wrists loosened immediately as he took a step forward, bringing the front of his body flush to hers, so she could feel his heat sweep into her clothes and skin. It felt as tempting as she remembered.

"You bothered with me because I'm able to give you a pleasure no one has ever given you. And no one else  _ever_  will." Illumi whispered into her ear before planting a languorous kiss on the salty skin of her neck.

"And why did  _you_  bother?" Bleach asked, successfully pretending to be completely unaffected by the man's advances. "Why are you bothering  _now_? Let go of me already; both of us have more important shit to deal with."

"While that is very much true, I can spare some moments here with you. Killu won't land for another hour or so and I can reach the site in less than 20 minutes."

The Hunter's body tensed at the words. "You're bluffing. There's no fucking way you could know where Killua is landing."

"And answering your question-" Illumi resumed talking about the previous subject, not bothering to respond to Bleach's accusation or to raise his face from the juncture between her neck and shoulder. He enjoyed being so close to her oh so vulnerable carotid artery. "-I bother with you because you give me a thrill no woman has ever given me before. I'm always stepping on eggshells with you and, for some reason, I  _like_  it. I want to keep stepping and breaking those shells until there's nothing left."

"It will never happen." Bleach snarled, hating herself for the heat that was pooling in her lower abdomen.

Violently, she raised one of her knees to try and hit Illumi right between the legs but, to her utmost frustration, the man moved faster than her, moving his legs in a way that put him in-between the woman's thighs. At the same time, he pulled her wrists higher still, until her feet were completely off the ground and her body was sandwiched between his and the tree behind her. She could feel the man's groin press against hers and damn it if it wasn't making her wet.

Despite her own excitement, Bleach's first instinct was to curse and struggle against the assassin. But she held it back. If what he said about knowing Killua's whereabouts was true, he'd need about 20 minutes to get there... Maybe, she could manage to hold him back long enough for him not to have the time to reach Killua before he got in the car that was awaiting for him, the boy and Alluka would be safe. And she could think of one way of accomplishing that, but truly didn't want to follow through.

_Come on Bleach. It won't be the first time you've had to do that. The only difference is that, this once, it'll be for someone worth it._

Swallowing every drop of self-respect she had left, Bleach raised her legs and encircled Illumi's waist, pulling his groin even closer to hers.

"What are you doing?" The assassin asked warily, but didn't waste the opportunity to grind his pelvis against Bleach's. It was a very pleasant sensation after all.

"Don't mistake me." The thief spoke in a seductive tone and then took the time to suckle at the man's earlobe. "I still think you're a disgusting piece of shit. But there's no denying you're a good lay so why waste the chance? It has been some time since I last got any and I could use the stress relief right now."

"Really?" Illumi breathed out, kissing a path from Bleach's neck to her jaw, until his face was right in front of hers and he could dissect her intentions from her eyes. "This has nothing to do with the fact that you need to buy Killu some time to run away? For someone who claimed not to want to sell herself again, you sure don't hesitate to spread your legs when the situation suits you."

Bleach's façade fell immediately and a disgusted scowl made its way to her lips.

"You should be thankful for it, since this is your only chance of ever fucking me again."

An amused smirk made its way to Illumi's lips. "We'll see about that."

Faster than the eye could follow, Illumi's hands released her wrists and his right one tried to shove one of his needles in the back of her head.

To his surprise, the needle hit a sturdy surface – one that did not correspond to the woman's skull – and broke. To his shock, said surface grew around her head as a sort of helmet and the woman used its protection to head-butt him with all the strength she had.

The assassin jumped away as the chackrams flew back to their owner's hands.

"You'll never manipulate me like that again." Bleach stated in a surprisingly calm voice.

Blood streaked down his nose, but Illumi kept the smirk on his face as he slowly raised his hands in a surrender gesture.

Bleach's eyes widened at seeing that he held her cell phone in his left hand.

"As you said before, we have more important matters to attend to right now." The assassin purred as his left hand crushed the device in it. "Let's get to them."

Before Bleach could say anything, Illumi disappeared in the forest's shadows, leaving her alone and fuming in anger, with no form of communication or GPS to guide her anymore.

_If that shithead thinks this stunt is gonna stop me, he has another thing coming. I'll get to Killua and Alluka before he has the chance to even say their names._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own Angry Birds or any motorcycles, let alone a Suzuki Hayabusa. :(
> 
> Anyways, I truly hope this chapter was worth the wait and please tell me what you think about it. =.=
> 
> Kisses,  
> RedVoid


	44. Nanika: -But The War Is Ours

What he had said was nothing but the truth.

Bleach did give him a strange sort of thrill whenever they were together. Be it when she was hauling insults at him or releasing gasps and moans of pleasure, the woman managed to keep him threading on the thin line between success and failure. Illumi could never be 100% certain his actions and words would have the desired effect on the woman, especially since she found out about his needles in her.

Before that, albeit innately unpredictable, Bleach had trusted him to some degree, making it easier for him to  _know_  how she'd react to him.

But now… now that wild woman –  _and how wild she truly was_  – had no sort of trust whatsoever in him. She followed solely her instincts, honed by years of dealing with unscrupulous men, and since the beginning those had screamed at her not to trust him, not to do  _anything_  remotely close to what he believed she would. Now, he was again having trouble to  _guess_  her reactions.

_She actually tried to sell herself to me, in exchange of something as banal as time. For… Killua._

Albeit not showing it to the woman, her attempt at seduction had surprised him to no end. He knew how much she loathed using her body as currency and, while the idea that she could be manipulative enough to do so when in need was strangely arousing, it bothered him that she had tried to do so out of her own free will, without having her strings pulled by him. Even worse, the fact that she tried to act as his whore for some minutes put him in the role he had regretted ever occupying with her: the whole of a customer.

It truly didn't suit his needs anymore.

Maybe, when he had tried to break her all at once in that cold palace, that role had held some sort of appeal for the assassin. After all, it was so rare for him to be the one being served; it was always him serving his clients, killing whomever they wished with no questions asked. Having Bleach obliged to please him by the usage of mere words had been extremely satisfying.

Then he found something even more satisfying than having that woman forced to please him: having her  _willing_  to do so.

No matter where Bleach had been or with whom; what mattered was how seductive she could be in bed. She was skilled and participative, and a relatively hard lover to please. She didn't just lay there, scratching at his back like some sort of animal –  _although the idea of having her do so is not without appeal_  – and screaming her lungs out at the smallest touches. She teased the most sensitive spots of his skin as much as he did hers, and every moan and gasp had to be struggled from her lips.

Their time together in the airship and then in that hotel room had been short but extremely well used, and Illumi found it harder and harder to keep Bleach immersed in that sweet, sexual bliss without doing the same himself. Despite her selfish nature, she was as much of a giver as she was of a taker in bed; pleasing her wasn't always without effort, but it was always worth his while.

And even talking or teasing her had proven stimulating for the assassin. It was always a rare event to manage to get Bleach to say what he wanted to hear, but that didn't mean she didn't have anything interesting to say.

" _The brat loves me too much to keep away. More than he has ever loved you."_

Really, who would have ever thought that woman could manage to understand him enough to know just how to dig under his skin? She was more cunning than she made herself look.

At the same time, she could be so naïve. Sleeping in the same bed as him and trusting him with bits of her past that she had never trusted anyone else…

_That's in the past now._

Automatically, Illumi pressed down further on the gas pedal. He had plenty of time to arrive at Killua's landing site, but the reminder that he had lost so much progress with that difficult woman made him favour a more aggressive driving style. Driving like that was just like dealing with Bleach.

Something full of uncertainties but, paradoxically, that depended almost solely on his actions. It was strangely thrilling. And worth doing whenever he had the chance.

As long it didn't interfere with him and Killu, of course.

* * *

Bleach never thought she'd ever live to the day that spotting Hisoka running through a dark and isolated forest while emanating blood-lust would ever be considered good fortune. But, as irony would have it, the day had come.

It was very fortunate indeed that she was using Zetsu as she stalked through the forest and tried to locate herself or, if luck allowed, find Illumi and shadow him to Killua's location. eIf she wasn't the murderous clown would've spotted and most likely fought her to death –  _her_  death, that is.

_The creep was kind of "friends" with Illumi in the Hunter Exam so he must be going to where that shithead is right now._

Narrowing her eyes, the thief started stalking him from the shadows.

It took the clown more than half a hour before he stopped moving and settled to hiding himself behind a thick tree, close to a dirt road. Surely, a couple of hundreds of metres away, Bleach watched a car approaching the clown's hiding place.

Immediately she knew Killua and Alluka were inside that car, and they weren't safe.

The Hunter's first instinct was to summon her weapons and use the element of surprise to engage Hisoka in a fight in order to protect those two from him at least. However, the thief found it in her to hold back that urge and keep hiding because, despite the bloodlust in his face, Hisoka wasn't in an attacking position; if anything he seemed to be just waiting, biding his time to take action. But, only if needed.

Bleach decided to do the same. If the clown was going to serve as Illumi's back-up, she'd serve as Killua's.

* * *

As luck would have it, she'd only have to wait for a couple of minutes before both siblings revealed themselves, prompting her to leave her hiding place.

It was immensely satisfying, the look of sligh surprise in Illumi's face when she all but materialized from the shadows behind Killua and Alluka and immediately used Runvle's mirror to envelop their bodies in an orange-tinted barrier.

"Bleach!" Killua exclaimed and gave a small leap forwards, also startled by her sudden appearance. "What are you doing here?"

"Long story, brat." Bleach dismissed with a scowl, quickly pulling him and Alluka back towards her. "Don't get far from me, either of you. As long as you have this shield around you, Illumi and Hisoka can't hurt you."

Killua and Illumi tensed at Bleach's revelation. The first looked surprised and fearful for Alluka, while the latter actually showed anger at her, prompting a large, taunting smirk to stretch on her lips.

"Be a dear and thank the clown for me later, Illumi. It was very sweet of him to guide me back to Killua and Alluka; even it hadn't been really his intention doing so."

Behind the tree, Hisoka covered his amused grin with one of his cards, letting out an embarrassed "Oops" that went unheard by anyone else. For a moment, he wondered if he should step out of the shadows and reveal himself, but thought better of it. After all, Soap just might make a mistake and let go of those two long enough for him to kill Alluka –  _or Killua, or both_. Not that he'd necessarily do it; after all, he really wanted Gon to live.

Also, he was in a pretty advantageous spot to watch the unfolding of events between the audacious woman and Illumi.  _This ought to be pretty interesting~._

"So that's how you found out where I was." Illumi spoke, doing his best to keep a neutral voice and succeeding.  _I wonder if it truly hadn't been his intention._

"And how did you find out where  _we_  were?" Killua demanded, glaring at his older brother.

Once again, bodies seemed to appear out of thin air, a couple of feet from Killua.

"It was me." Tsubone spoke solemnly. "The fool who was completely tricked."

* * *

" _Tsubone!" Nanika called excitedly. "Give me the nail of your middle finger."_

With that gruesome and yet innocent request, everything changed; Bleach saw it in Tsubone's victorious smirk towards Illumi, and in his outward glare. The assassin had been in a disadvantage before, but now… now he had clearly lost. Killua would get to make a wish and he could easily wish to have his brother out of the way.

Expectant but still wary, Bleach watched Tsubone give Alluka two of her left hand's nails, successfully fulfilling three of Nanika's requests and providing Killua with the chance to make his wish.

"Killua-sama, make your wish." The elder butler spoke calmly. "Amane and I will take care of the rest. Please allow me this opportunity to make amends for interfering with your mission."

"…Are you capable of doing it?"

Illumi's voice was as calm as Tsubone's, as was the look in his face, and Bleach didn't understand why. Not a minute before he had been blatantly angry at the turn of events, but now he seemed completely unaffected by it all…  _Why?_

"If so, that's alright. It means that you'll follow the same process when saving Gon, right? If you sacrifice those two to kill me, you won't have any problems sacrificing a bunch of strangers to save Gon."

 _That's right. He doesn't know all the rules regarding Nanika's powers; he thinks that, if Killua makes a wish now, he'll need someone else to make the wish to save Gon._ Bleach internally smirked.  _Ging was right; knowledge is power._

"If you say yes, I'll happily die and your inner mission will be a success-"

There was no helping the frown on the thief's face. How could Illumi say something like that so calmly, so... truthfully? Not that she was against him dying or anything, but  _he_  should be. It was his life for fuck's sake!; it should've been worth for him to, at the very least, fight for it. Instead, he'd gladly give up for something as trivial as a family's conflict of interests.  _Just how fucked up is he?_

"-After all, it's against for family members to kill each other. But that thing that will grant your wish… it isn't family."

Bleach proud herself in being a hard-ass, but ever since she met Gon and Killua she was no longer able to brag about that as often as she used to. With those two, the thief found herself being increasingly bothered by heart-wrenching moments of empathy and other annoying feelings she used to mock so much once upon a time, in Meteor City.

It came to the point that such a simple jab about Alluka's status as a human being and member of the Zoldyck family was enough to make angry tears well in her eyes and that chest-tightening feeling of nonconformist at an injustice being committed to someone else bubble in her chest.

And that was why Amane and Tsubone had to physically hold her back from trying to go and punch that infuriatingly pleased look from Illumi's face.

"You're disgusting!" Bleach called out, before spitting at the assassin's direction. "How dare you say something like that about Alluka?! She has done absolutely nothing to you or any other of your bat-shit crazy family members! I know that she has never,  _ever_  tried making requests from any of you! Despite that, you monsters locked her – a little child! – in a basement without any sort of contact with other people! Yet she is the menace here?! Bullshit! If your family ever falls apart is because you're all fucking  _insane_ , not because of Alluka!  _And you know it_. You  _all_  know it, but still you insist on passing on your fucked up values and customs to young children who don't know any better! FUCK. YOU. ALL!"

Behind his tree, Hisoka made an "o" shape with his mouth at the daring and dangerously truthful words that shot out the thief's mouth.  _Soap… I think you turned me on a little bit. Oh, how I wished we could fight right now~. But we will soon, won't we? If Illumi doesn't murder you first, that is._

Still held by Tsubone and Amane, a heaving Bleach glared at Illumi's seemingly unimpressed expression. But she knew better, she knew just how much her words truly annoyed and bothered him; after all, Killua, the heir of the family, had completely bailed on them due to their customs and values and was now head-on defying them. Who was to say that other, more serious consequences wouldn't follow? That would never arise a feud grand enough to tear his family apart? The idea that his precious family could ever cease to exist was torture for Illumi and Bleach knew it and, angry as she was, she didn't hesitate in throwing it in his face.

"I don't expect one such as you to ever understand our family and our ways." Illumi finally spoke in his usual unaffected voice. It was a flimsy retort and both knew it, but it was all that the assassin had at the moment and he was going to use it. "So mind your place,  _whore_."

The "o" formed by Hisoka's mouth widened and he found himself all but loudly cheering for a catfight between Illumi and Bleach.  _Would you two wait for me to get some jello?_

"SHUT  _THE FUCK_  UP!"

Surprisingly, that outraged command didn't come from Bleach's mouth. It came from behind her, from an irate Killua who was glaring at his brother with murder written in his eyes.

"Don't you  _ever_  call her that again."

Instead of feeling happy at having Killua defend her like that, or feeling sadistic satisfaction at Illumi's incredulously jealous expression, all Bleach felt was shame. Not because of what Illumi had called her –  _that shit can say whatever he wants about me, I don't care anymore_  – but because Killua had watched such foul exchange between her and his brother and was extremely upset by it. He was a child; he shouldn't have been hearing, let alone participating in such arguments.

"Killlua…" Bleach called softly, walking to the boy until she was kneeled right in front of him. Instinctively, she raised her hands to sweep off the angry tears from his eyes. "It's alright. Please, don't let his words hurt you like that. He's a jackass; his words hold no value for me and they shouldn't hold any for you either."

The boy's sapphire eyes recovered some of their usual warmth as he nodded, but the tears didn't stop flowing from them. Still, for now, that was good enough to make Bleach smile.

"Come on, brat." The woman said with her usual smirk. "Make a wish."

* * *

A couple of hours later, Bleach, Killua and Alluka found themselves inside Gon's room. The youngest was laying her head on Killua's lap, sleeping off her tiredness at heaving healed Tsubone's left hand as per Killua's wish, while the other two sat side by side, talking in low volumes about their adventures with Gon and each other. Amane and Tsubone stood by each sides of them, standing guard.

Slowly, Alluka woke up, rubbing sleepiness off her eyes as she raised her small body to a sitting position.

"Ah… Onii-chan."

"Good morning." Both greeted with warm smiles and Killua continued. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah, despite laying your head on Killua's bony and undoubtedly impossibly uncomfortable lap?" Bleach teased, earning herself a nudge in the ribs from Killua and pout from Alluka, who quickly rushed to defend her brother with claims that his lap was the most comfortable in the world.

"But… where are we?" Alluka finally asked, now taking the time to examine her surroundings.

As Killua answered and explained the situation to his sister, Bleach's teasing smirk fell from her lips and she fixed sad but confident eyes on Gon's form lying on a bed not three metres from her. Not able to help herself, she stood up from the bench and walked to the brunette so she could take one of his half-decomposed hands inside both of hers.

The thief heard Alluka's soft footsteps approaching but didn't dare to move her eyes from Gon's form. Then, when Alluka was by her side Bleach laid the boy's mutilated hand in hers with such gentleness that it seemed the boy's appendage was made of the most delicate china in the world.

"Please…" Bleach and Killua whispered, not even trying to hold back their tears. "Please Nanika, heal him."

"Okay."

The explosion of Nen around her was the most intense thing Bleach had ever felt, but she didn't as much as blink her eyes.

She couldn't, because, right in front of her, a miracle was happening.

_Gon. You're coming back to us._

* * *

Inside the thief's necklace, Namid could feel Nanika's outstanding Nen and immediately recognized it. More than that, she could place exactly where she had last felt it; and it was not in the humans' dimension.

_**This "Nanika"… she is one of us. The Wish Maker. Of course. No human could ever hope to have such a grand and limitless power.** _

It was baffling to know that others of her kin had also aligned themselves with humans, but there was no denying that it made complete sense. If Iadbo had managed to come as well as bring her and the other guardians to pledge their lives to the Castere, what was there to keep others like them to do the same, only to other humans?

The question was: should she tell Bleach this piece of information or keep it to herself? No doubts, the Chosen One would try her best to help Nanika and her vessel but she wondered how far said help would be wanted. Their situation was much different than hers and the other guardians; after all, she wasn't sharing her body with them. As good as her intentions might be, Bleach wasn't capable – no one was – of understanding what it felt like to completely share her body and mind with another for years on a row. There was just no way that Nanika and her vessel hadn't developed a deep relationship, and Namid wasn't sure Bleach would know how to deal with it.

_**In a few years. Maybe.** _

* * *

When Gon opened his eyes, he was in a regular hospital room. White walls and ceiling surrounded him and, by his side, there was a white-haired woman with a large smile on her face and relieved tears in her eyes.

"B-Bleach?"

The word had barely left his lips and the woman was already all over Gon, hugging him tightly to herself as she kissed his temple over and over again. The boy didn't understand why Bleach, usually so against public displays of affection – or any displays at all, really - was being so clingy to him. Surely, he hadn't been that bad?

 _It doesn't really matter_. The boy thought to himself as returned his friend's embrace. Bleach needed to hold him right now and that was good enough for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really hope you all enjoyed this. It was a pretty difficult chapter to write, with all of the conflicts and emotional stuff... XP
> 
> So please tell me what you think about this! ;)
> 
> Kisses,  
> RedVoid


	45. Nanika: Goodbye

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone. :)
> 
> Before I start rambling about this fic, let me just say something: you all should check Aurelya-LB's page in Deviantart! She is extremely skilled and I really recommend you all to check her page on Deviantart; she has beautiful art posted there! ;D
> 
> Now... to the rambling! XD
> 
> A total of 45 chapters (including this one) have been posted for this fic in the last months. First, it was Bleach's background, then the Hunter's Exam and Zoldyck Family. We also went through the Celestial Tower, York Shin, back to the Castere Palace and to Greed Island. Then we went through the very long (and exciting, in my opinion at least) Chimera Ants arc, before reaching Nanika's.
> 
> And now we've reached the very last chapter of this arc and, consequently, the ending of the cannon-timeline plot.
> 
> Before any of you get nervous and set out to kill me, let me just say something: this fic does NOT end here.
> 
> Truth be told, when I first began this, I had planned to wrap things up here and end this alongside the anime, since it seems that the Dark Continent arc will never be finished. -.-  
> However, mid-way into this fic, plot bunnies about what could come after for Bleach started to axe me in the head and, since I just love to work with emotional drama, most of the blows I received involved ideas of the possible developments of her relationship with Illumi.
> 
> And so, I've decided to extend this fanfic for many chapters still, now focusing mostly on Bleach and Illumi. ;)
> 
> Truth be told, other characters will play important roles in this continuation, but I won't dwell on it now. You'll have to wait and see who they are and how they'll contribute to the future arcs I've planned for this.
> 
> Now, let me wrap up this uncharacteristically long AN by thanking everyone who has stuck with me so far. I really hope you've enjoyed this story so far and that you'll continue to do so in the following chapters. :D
> 
> Now... to the chapter!

" _Bleach, it's alright." Killua spoke as he watched his friend entertain his sister with her powers. The three of them were sitting on a stone bench, just outside the room Gon had been sleeping in. "You really don't need to stay here with us. I can deal with Illumi on my own."_

_Bleach completely ignored the boy in favour of using Runvle's mirror to create a star-shaped shield in front of her, making Alluka giggle delightfully._

" _Really, you should be with Gon."_

" _It will still take a couple of hours for Gon to wake up so I can stay here for a while longer." Bleach commented absent-mindedly. "Also, Alluka doesn't want me to go, isn't that right?"_

" _It is!" The girl replied, latching her arms around one of Bleach's, though never leaving her brother's lap. "I like Onee-chan!"_

_The thief's eyes twinkled in amusement and a teasing smirk grew on her face._

" _Hear that, Killua? I'm her Onee-chan now. Which means I'm also yours. And we all know that younger siblings should hold extra respect for their older ones. Unless they are idiots like Illumi, of course."_

_The boy visibly shuddered. Partly because the idea of having Bleach as an older sister was completely terrifying on its own, but mostly because one of the ways she could become that was by marrying one of his brothers… like Illumi._

_**Thank gods** _ _ **that** _ _**is never going to happen.** _

_Chuckling at the boy's expression, Bleach returned to using Runvle's mirror to create barriers of different shapes and sizes to entertain the little girl staring at her with such wide and awe-filled eyes. The thief honestly didn't understand how the Zoldycks had it in them to lock such an adorable little thing away in a basement._

_**Those people have many, many loose screws.** _

* * *

_Unfortunately, all that's good must come to an end. And that end came in the form of Illumi's voice approaching them slowly, as he explained his – very correct, Bleach admitted begrudgingly - theories regarding Nanika's powers and Killua._

" _Well, these are my conclusions." The assassin concluded with a falsely good-naturedly tone. "What do you think?"_

" _Oh, I'll tell you what I think right away." Bleach snarled as she got up from the bench, immediately summoning Trera's bracelets around her wrists and covering her arms with heavy rocks. "Better yet, I'll beat it into your skull, you piece of-"_

" _Bleach-" Killua called calmly, sending a soft and reassuring smile to the woman. "-don't worry, I got this."_

_The thief's eyes went from Killua to Illumi a couple of times before she let out a huff and allowed the rocks to fall from her arms. But she didn't dare to let Trera's bracelets to disappear from her wrists; the assassin could try anything at any moment and she wanted to be ready to counter whatever attack he threw their way._

_Illumi watched the exchange patiently, taking note of yet another power of Bleach's guardians and of how promptly she was now able to summon her weapons. The thief was quickly becoming an actual threat regarding his plans of controlling Killua once again._

_**But she also has the potential to become one of my greatest weapons.** _

_Ignoring those thoughts for the moment, Illumi resumed walking towards his brother at a leisurely pace and, as he did so, he felt his heart double its pace._ _**When** _ _he acquired control of Killua and consequently Nanika, he would be invincible; no one would ever be safe from him and his Manipulation again-_

_Instinctively, his eyes returned to Bleach. The woman was still on her feet, standing in a protective stance in front of Killua and Alluka as she challenged him with her artificially dull-coloured but still astoundingly bright eyes._

_-_ _**especially not you, Bleach.** _

* * *

Thankfully, nothing serious happened with Illumi and, once he had been wished away by Killua, the boy all but ordered Bleach and the butlers to leave him alone with Alluka and, understanding they both were out of danger –  _for now at least_  – the thief ran to Gon's side so she could be there for him when he woke up.

The moment she saw his bright brown eyes opening must've been the happiest in her life so far and she cried and smiled freely to the boy as she threw herself over him, hugging and kissing him as if there was no tomorrow.

But now that relief disappeared completely and she felt sick to her stomach.

From her place, crouched down on one of the metal beams that supported the ceiling of the auditorium in which the 13th Chairman Elections were happening, Bleach watched Ging's sitting form staring at the stage in front of him. Even when the auditorium's doors were opened to reveal his son, that fucking bastard didn't move his eyes from the stage.

She should hate him for leaving Gon to death when the boy needed him most and, to some extent, she did. More than that, she  _loathed_  the man who was barely looking at his son as the crying boy tried to talk to him.

Still, a part of her wanted nothing more than hold that damn bastard in her arms and never let go again. But it was a much smaller part than she had expected.

Still, not knowing what to do, the thief decided to do what she did best: remain in the shadows, bidding her time until the moment was right to act.

That time came when the jackass had the nerve to say that he was a  _busy man_ , that it would be  _difficult_ for him to talk with Gon at a later time and, just as an uproar of indignation raised in the auditorium, the thief jumped down from the ceiling, slamming on Ging's body as a piece of concrete.

* * *

One moment Ging was trying to weasel his way out of a deeper reunion with his son, the next he could barely understand what in the world could've hit him so suddenly and hard.

"You fucking bastard!"

Memories of a poor and uncomfortably hot city, where he could feel someone trying to steal his wallet but never manage to locate said someone, came forth and he knew at once just who it was that attacked him.  _This time I didn't even feel you. I knew you had the potential, Bleach._

Slowly, the Zodiac's blurred vision refocused and he could see none other than the girl he had trained some three years ago, glaring down at him with those piercing eyes of hers as her hands closed around the front of his shirt and roughly pulled his body from the floor.

"You're going to meet and talk with Gon, like it or not. Understood Ging?"

"Well, you see…" Ging stuttered and tried to use his hands to free himself from the girl's death-grip, only to find that they were held to the ground by heavy stones. He tried to move his legs, only to find them in the same situation.  _What the-_

"All I see is a coward, good-for-nothing father trying to neglect his son." The thief snarled. "But I won't let you do this,  _again_. Gon went through hell to find you, Ging. The least you can - and  _will_  - do is talk to him."

" **She's right!"**

" **You're a jerk, Ging!"**

" **Do as she says, Ging!"**

" **You owe him that! He's your son!"**

The loud cries coming from all around him were enough to prompt the socially inept man into action. Using Nen, he broke through the stones holding his arms and legs to the ground and quickly stood up, careful not to throw Bleach on the floor though. With glaring eyes, the Zodiac scanned the room, challenging everyone around him.

"Shut up! It's none of your business!"

" **You should apologize to Gon!"**

"That's it! I'm going to take on all of- What the-!"

The words caught in Ging's throat when a sudden wave of rocks hit his chest, knocking him back to the ground and blanketing his whole form with an even thicker layer of stones as to keep him there this time. Before the Hunter could resume his outraged complaints, a foot slammed on the rocks covering his chest, successfully earning its owner Ging's full attention.

He found Bleach smiling a psychotic smile down at him that made cold sweat sprout all over his body.

"You'll talk to Gon." The thief ordered in a saccharine voice that made all surrounding her shiver in something akin to horror. "And you'll do it as soon as possible or gods help you Ging, I'll hunt you down to the ends of the Earth and torment you for the rest of your life. Mark my words: you will know no peace as long as you avoid him."

Both Hunters stared at each other for long moments before someone had the courage to interrupt.

"Ne, Bleach." Gon called in a cheerful voice as he pulled on one of Bleach's hands with both of his, trying to get the angry woman to move her glare from his father. "It's alright. Not only did I already talk to Ging, but Kaito is alive as well! Everything is good, so don't worry!"

Despite the boy's attempt of reassuring her, Bleach didn't mover her gaze from Ging's. At least not until the Zodiac turned serious once again and gave her a small nod of agreement that only she noticed.

Satisfied with the small gesture of agreement, the thief allowed Trera's bracelets to disappear from her wrists, unmaking the heavy stone blanket that was keeping Ging glued to the floor, and turned to Gon with a smile.

"Whatever you say, Gon."

Once again, the audience - who didn't see Ging's nod - went in an uproar of protests against Ging's neglect. The loud and outraged yells wouldn't cease until Piyon – the rabbit of the Zodiacs – screamed in the microphone, demanding everyone's attention so they could finish the Chairman elections.

* * *

Everything that happened next was kind of a blur to Bleach, since she could only focus on Ging's form, standing so close and yet so far from her.

She was extremely confused regarding the ever-growing emotion inside of her whenever she looked at the Zodiac. She had expected anger, happiness, relief and even… love.

What she didn't expect was the foreign feeling of indifference at finally finding the man she had obsessed over for more than three years.

_What changed inside of me? And_ _**when** _ _?_

* * *

"Bleach!"

Startled out of her thoughts, the thief raised her eyes from the floor to Gon's smiling figure walking through the wooden double doors a few feet in front of her. They had left the auditorium of the elections hours ago and were now in a beautiful mansion on the outskirts of the city.

"Kaito wants to talk to you."

* * *

"Damn it, Kaito. You're almost prettier than me."

The resurrected Hunter snorted at the comment as he made a hand gesture for Bleach to sit down on the sofa in front of him.

"How are you doing?" The woman continued, voice acquiring a more serious tone as she took her place on the couch.

"…It's a bit strange, to be honest." Kaito began, lowering his gaze to the hands lying limp in-between his knees. "Sometimes I feel just like myself, as if this body had always been my own. Other times, I feel like someone else entirely, but still someone who has every right to this body. But…"

Bleach watched Kaito clench his hands with enough strength to make his knuckles turn white. "But?"

"But, every once in a while, I feel like I've stolen this body. Like I have no right using it to continue to live."

"…Is this why you ordered that Koala to dedicate his life to you, who lives with the face of the girl he killed? Because you feel just like him?"

Kaito's lips briefly twitched before he raised his eyes back to Bleach's contacts covered ones.

"You and Gon were eavesdropping?"

"Only me." The thief answered honestly with a small smirk on her lips. "Gon was nervously pacing from side to side outside the house, preparing himself to meet with you again, and I just couldn't help myself. He was so distracted and the window so close…"

Once again, Kaito couldn't help but snort. "You really have a poor sense of boundaries, Bleach."

"Does it bother you? That I heard your conversation?"

The woman's voice was serious and demanded from him an honest answer, something that surprised Kaito.  _She's actually worried about how her actions might have affected me. And to think that when we first she showed no concern for how her actions might affect others' feelings… Bleach, you're growing at an astounding pace._

"I'm not bothered because I know your intentions weren't malicious." Kaito answered, favouring her with a small, reassuring smile. "While not being exactly a philanthropist, you're nowhere near a bad person, Bleach. I know I can trust you not to use your knowledge about me to harm me or my friends."

Bleach returned Kaito's smile with one of her own. "Despite the change of looks, you're still the cool man I remember."

"Man?" Kaito repeated, raising a sardonic eyebrow.

Bleach shrugged. "You still seem like a man to me; not in appearance per se but you know… You're still you, Kaito. And I honestly think this is how it was meant to be. Ging told Gon and me about that special number of your Crazy Slot, the one that comes out whenever you're set on living. Sometimes you may feel that you don't deserve this body you've been given, but I honestly think it couldn't belong to anyone else but you. You fought for your life with everything you had. And you won, simple as that." There was a knowing shadow in the woman's eyes that showed she understood all too well what it felt like to regain her life at the expense of someone else's death. "I don't think you stole this new body; it was rewarded to you."

Kaito's eyes widened at the woman's words, wondering if she fully understood just how reassuring and supportive they were to him, how much they eased his inner turmoil regarding this flesh that was someone else's but also his.

"Bleach… you-"

The thief in front of him blushed slightly at the grateful glint in his eyes and the awed tone in his voice, as she scowled at the floor in embarrassment. She might've been improving her social skills, but giving this sort of emotional support still made her feel uncomfortable with herself.

An understanding smile made its way to Kaito's lips and he opted for completely changing what he was about to say.

"-You met Ging-san, huh?"

The smirk that replace Bleach's scowl was nothing short of grateful.

"Yeah, and I chewed off that bastard's ass for trying to ignore Gon. Again."

"And for avoiding you for all these years, what did you do?"

The smirk gave place to a pensive pout as the woman dropped her back on the sofa's back support in a tired manner.

"Nothing."

That answer… was not what Kaito expected.

"After everything I went through to find that bastard and after everyone I met, reuniting with Ging just seemed so… unimportant. Somewhere along the way, Ging stopped being the reason of my quest and became only an excuse for me to keep myself in Gon and Killua's company, sharing of their adventures. I won't lie to you, a part of me still wants to attach itself to that bastard and never let go again but… things change, you know? I feel like I have better things to do with myself than run around the world like a mad person, just for the chance of maybe catching a glimpse of that man. I guess what I felt for him wasn't truly there. And that the piece of me that wants to keep him close is nothing more than me not wanting to accept that the first person that ever meant so much to me didn't actually matter all that much."

Bleach's eyes closed in acceptance as a long and dramatically suffering sigh left her, leaving Kaito to stare at her with wide eyes that were full of awe at the woman's uncharacteristically serious psychoanalysis of her feelings. It just didn't feel like a speech she'd give and-

"Then again, this stupid bit of me might just be result of pent-up sexual frustration. After all, I did spend three years obsessing over the bastard… and he is kind of sexy."

-never mind.

* * *

After their encounter with Kaito, Gon and Bleach returned to the Hunters Association HQ in order to meet with Ging, but, as the thief expected, the bastard wasn't there. However, he did leave a very clear clue of where he'd be waiting for his son: the top of the tallest tree in the world.

That was good enough for her and she quickly led Gon to the hotel Killua and Alluka would be waiting for them. As soon as they got there, excited conversations took place inside the luxurious penthouse apartment they had been given by Morau as the four of them had dinner. However, to the boys' frustration, Bleach was quick to put an end to it and demand they all went to bed, claiming that Alluka was tired.

Truth was, the next day would be their last together and she wanted them all to be well-rested to make the most of it.

* * *

 _"Alluka, can you ask Nanika to come out?_ "

Hidden in a shadowy alleyway, Killua explained to Gon what Nanika's powers were, how she had used them to save his life and how his family had tried to keep her imprisoned because of those powers.

"Thanks to you, she's outside now. And I'm prepared to spend the rest of my life protecting her." The former assassin finished, smiling warmly to his brunette friend.

Bleach scratched the back of her head awkwardly as she turned her gaze away from Killua and Gon. "You do know… if you ever need help-"

"I know." The boy responded, turning a warm and thankful smile to the embarrassed woman by his side. "Thank you, Bleach. For everything."

"There's no need to thank me." The thief spoke, fighting the embarrassment growing inside of her so she could return her gaze to both amazing boys close to her. "It is I who should be thanking you,  _both_ of you. I learned a lot about myself during our time together and, most important, I met you two and Alluka, Leorio and Kurapika, Kaito, Biske, Wing and Zushi… I want you two to know that our time together was the best of my life and I wouldn't change a thing about it."

The trio stared at each other for long moments, all three pair of eyes full of happiness, gratitude and… sadness.

"This is no good." Gon spoke at last. "If we stay here any longer…"

Despite the happy smile on her lips, Bleach felt her heart clench painfully tight inside her chest. She knew that moment would come but nothing could prevent the ache and sense of loss that were invading her heart at the moment. This was it, the end of their adventures together. Kaito had been avenged, Ging had been found, Killua and Alluka had been freed and Gon had been healed. There were no more reasons holding the three of them together.

Still, despite knowing that their time to part was upon them, Bleach, Killua and Alluka accompanied Gon to the entrance of the tallest tree on Earth. Maybe because they wanted to take a closer look at it.

Most likely because they wanted to spend as much time together as possible.

* * *

" _I'll travel around the world with Alluka. From time to time, I'll email you two."_

" _I'll do the same! If anything happens, be sure to let us know right away! The same goes for you, Bleach!"_

" _Cross my heart, Gon. I'll try to send you two some gifts from time to time. I intend to go to the Old Continent and tour their museums and cities. It would be a pity if I didn't send you some souvenirs. I'm sure I'll find some very nice stuff there."_

" _Ne, I don't care about the gifts. As long as you remember to contact me every once in a while, I'll be happy."_

" _Gon, I could never forget you. Neither of you."_

* * *

Sooner than any of them had hoped for, they reached the short gate that led tallest tree on Earth.

"Ne Bleach, are you sure you don't want to come along and talk to Ging?" Gon asked, smiling to the woman. "You've been searching for him all this time too."

"It's alright Gon." The woman answered with a smile. "You two should spend some time alone."

"Well… I'm going then!"

Turning his back to his friends, Gon took slow steps towards the open gate in front of him and, just before crossing it, stopped altogether. With his brightest and warmest smile, he turned around to look at his friends one last time.

"Kaito said that, no matter where we go, we'll always be friends!"

Bleach and Kilua also smiled brightly, like they had never before.

" **Yeah!"**

As one, the three friends turned away from each other, losing their smiles as their feet mechanically started to move, taking them in different directions even as pieces of themselves remained, left behind in one another's hearts. There was no holding back now; this was it.

This was their goodbye

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hate writing final chapters! Even though this isn't truly this fic's last one, it still gives me all of those heart-wrenching feels that make final chapters so hard! XP
> 
> Gon! Killua! Come back! I miss you two already! T.T
> 
> I truly hope you enjoyed this chapter and that you won't set out to lynch me for Bleach's sorry excuse for a "reunion" with Ging. If you feel disappointed with it and that it was too anti-climatic for such a long-term objective... well, it was kind of the intention. =.=
> 
> On the other hand, we have a very in-depth talk with Kaito that I've been dying to write for a long time now. XDXD
> 
> Thank you for reading! Hope to see you all next chapter! :D
> 
> Kisses,  
> RedVoid


	46. In For The Kill

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, we're done with the cannon timeline and entering a whole new stage of Bleach's story, so I thinki it warrants a longer AN... I know it's a bore but there are some things I'd like to point out before we begin:
> 
> 1- The Dark Continent arc will be completely ignored, at least in the beginning. Althoigh I'm terribly interested in the whole thing, it doesn't seem Togashi will finish (or even regularly update) it anytime soon so I don't feel comfortable working with it yet. Even though I already have some crazy ideas involving Bleach and a seemingly one-way ticket to the Dark Continent. XDXD
> 
> 2- You may find some characters very OOC, especially in the Zoldyck family. I found that many of the Zoldyck family members were rudely overlooked during the Alluka arc, something that, in my opinion at least, must've brought lots of introspection and maybe even some light epiphanies and I'm just dying to develop these possible changes. Not to mention, we never get to take a good look at the Zoldycks' feelings regarding Killua all but deserting them and that's another thing that I've been itching to work with. Anyway! The original point: OOCness might happen and, while I ask a (little) bit of understanding about it being my interpretation of the characters and whatnot, I also ask you all to let me know if you think I'm doing something too wrong when portraying someone.
> 
> 3- Chapters now will focus a lot more on Bleach and Illumi's relationship, but you know me; I take my time (sometimes too much of it) with these things. I know some of you have been dying to have those two back together but please be patient. =.=
> 
> I think that was all I had to say... for now at least. XP
> 
> I truly hope you all enjoy this next part of TFWiM and that you'll continue to let me know what you think about it and what I can do to improve it. ;D
> 
> Kisses,  
> RedVoid

Life was good... and boring.

Body limp inside the hot tub, Bleach enjoyed the relaxing sensations the strong hydro massage bestowed upon her shoulders and back as her eyes stared out of the wide window at her left, taking in the beautiful, snowy scenery outside. A cool drink stood at the edge of the tub and, ready for her whenever she was ready for it.

LAt the moment, Bleach had no worries whatsoever-

"When are we going back to the room, Bleach? My head is getting a bit light with all this steam."

-besides smiling to the sweet bed warmer she had found in the paradise-like Hotel & Spa she was currently inhabiting.

With a polite smile, Bleach turned her head to the other side so she could stare into her companion's eyes.

"Why don't you go on ahead? I think I'll stay a bit more."

"Alright. See you there then."

The man planted a gentle kiss on the woman's lips and got out of the tub, reaching for one of the fluffy bathrobes that were hanging on the wall close to them. He put the robe on quickly and, with one last smile to the woman, made his way to the room they had been sharing for the last couple of nights, leaving the Bleach alone in the tub to contemplate her current situation.

It had been three weeks since she and the boys had gone on their separate ways.

Instead of going straight to the Old Continent, as she said she would, Bleach decided to drop by the Celestial Tower first and pay Elmsy a visit. It had been months since she had seen or even talked with the man – thanks to some asshole assassin destroying her cell phone in which the Conjurer's number was saved – so she figured she kind of owed him a visit.

Elmsy had been nothing short of elated and, quite frankly, relieved at finding Bleach waiting for him to finish his fight at the exit of the arena. Due to her sudden lack of contact he had thought something bad had happened to her.

After hearing her whole story, he decided bad didn't even begin to describe it.

Elmsy fretted and scolded Bleach for all the risks she had taken, as well as making her promise – with fingers crossed behind her back. but he didn't know that – to never endanger herself like that again.

After that initial phase was over, both spend some days in each other's company, chatting and training. Bleach hadn't tried to even flirt with the man and so nothing of sexual sort happened between them.

It surprised Bleach how, despite having sex with the man before her departure, Elmsy didn't change in the slightest the form he treated her. There was no awkwardness between them, and no attempts to push her into repeating the performance. Elmsy loved and respected her just as much as he always had, but didn't feel any sort of need or pressure to take her to bed.

However, if she had wanted to have sex with him, Bleach doubted Elmsy would've denied her. Not because she was too irresistible or because he a "man" and as such "simply couldn't pass up on an easy offer", but because he cared too much to ever deny her anything.

Then, after spending some cheerful days in Elmsy's company, Bleach went to the Old Continent to see for herself all of the beauty and culture the countries' natural landscapes, castles and museums had to offer.

Soon Blech found that sight-seeing of museums and churches and  _what-fucking-ever_  was astoundingly boring –  _it's all the same shit_ – and, after barely two weeks jumping from country to country, she decided to abort mission and just find herself a nice place to relax and devise a plan to return some excitement to her life.

Bleach opted to spend some money and go to a five star Hotel & Spa in the middle of the snowy Alps of the Old Continent, where she met Sergei, a gentle and soft-spoken man who became her very first fling ever since Illumi. She enjoyed spending her nights with Sergei; he was sweet and tried his best to attend to her needs and, while he didn't give her the thrill the assassin used to, he never made her feel like an worthless piece of shit.

But that wasn't important at the moment. What was important was to analyse her endeavours so far, pinpoint what exactly was making her life so boring and fix it.

Now, maybe during her tourist days in the Old Continent, she had gotten her hands on some of the countries' many crown jewels and whatnot, but that honestly hadn't been her main reason for visiting them; honest to god, she really thought that museum-visiting would be an interesting way to pass her time. It was not as if she needed to steal those things for money or anything, after all she was still loaded from her last theft during the auditions in York Shin City. As a matter of fact, she was so loaded that, before taking off to the Alps, she had returned all of the stolen goods to their respective museums. After all, those were important historical artefacts and she had no reason whatsoever to keep or sell them.

But she did need some sort of excitment in her life.

After spending almost two years with the boys, getting herself in the most dangerous situations, Bleach couldn't help but miss the thrill of risking herself in order to achieve something.

And the best way for her to fulfil her new-found thirst for excitement was through theft. Planning, investing on and performing thefts of the most well-guarded goods around the Earth was the purest form of excitement Bleach had ever found, and that was why she had – quite literally – stolen all of those historical gems.

However, even excitement in its purest form could become tedious if it wasn't accompanied by a greater objective. Bleach needed a reason to steal those precious artefacts, something to give her an objective, a deadline. She needed… a job?

Contacts-covered eyes narrowed at nothing in particular as the thief sat a bit straighter inside the hot tub.

Stealing things had been her job when she was forced to work for the Mafia and, despite simply despising the fact that she had no say in the matter, accomplishing her missions had given that sense of fulfilment that her life currently lacked. Also, the jobs she received weren't nearly as easy as the stunts she was pulling as of late – they involved much more ruthless security and much shorter time to be completed. Those jobs had been challenging and exciting.

_Why not start a solo career? Become a professional thief?_

Because it would be a lot of trouble and she knew it. She'd need people – very trustworthy people – to deal with the arrangements of the jobs, as well as deal with the transportation of the stolen goods and money. She could never reveal herself as the professional thief to any of her clients as the Zoldycks and other professional assassins did; unlike people's lives that once lost could never be returned, possessions exchanged hands all the time and she'd undoubtedly steal from people who were once her clients. If Bleach was to make this professional thieving thing work out, she'd need to remain in the shadows and leave the arrangements for someone else.

" _You are quite the skilled thief, girl. If you ever find yourself in need of money, give me a call. I may actually have a job for you, some day."_

Bleach's eyes widened and she jumped to her feet inside the tub with such speed that she almost slipped back in it.

_How could I forget Zeno's offer?_

The Zoldycks undoubtedly had in their butlers a very trustworthy and capable media to exchange of money, possessions and information; also their name carried weight and reassurance of a job well-done throughout the whole world. If they were to arrange her jobs for her… not only she'd be able to remain completely in the shadows, but she'd also start off with a very select clientele.

No doubt, if he agreed to arrange her jobs for her, Zeno would demand exorbitant percentages of her gains but that was of no importance. Her work would earn her millions per job any ways; and she didn't need the money, only the thrill.

…It was truly too bad that Illumi had destroyed her phone, in which Zeno's contact had also been saved.

_I really need to start writing things down... Fuck. Don't tell me I'll have to go all the way back to Killua's house just to discuss the possibility of a partnership between me and Zeno._

But she knew that was the only way and, mind set on making it work, Bleach decided she'd leave to the place immediately.

_I can't just up and leave. I have to talk to Sergei first._

…Or not.

While both Bleach and Sergei knew what they had was just a fling, Bleach didn't find it in her to leave without at least saying goodbye to the man. A couple of years ago, undoubtedly she would've simply bought some new clothes at the Hotel's store and left the place without a word, just to avoid any awkward exchange of phone numbers and untruthful "let's meet again" -  _Harry, my bad -_ but now… now Gon and Killua had completely ruined her disregard for other people's feelings. She had to, at least, give him a proper farewell. Maybe she could spend one more night with him and leave in the morning. He was a real sweetheart, so it really wouldn't be that much of a sacrifice to postpone her new plans for some more hours.

_Really, I'm such a softie._

* * *

Despite wanting Zeno to be her agent in the whole professional thieving thing, Bleach was determined to NEVER cross paths with Illumi again. It would be though – impossible, she was sure – but she'd do everything in her power to make it work.

"Bleach, surely you understand how unreasonable your request is." Zeburo, Mike's keeper, spoke in a patient voice. "While I am more than willing to call the butlers quarters to ask them to tell Zeno-sama you're here and wishes to see him, I can't ask them to tell Zeno-sama to come down all the way here just so you can talk to him. If you wish to see him – and if he allows you an audience – you'll have to go to him yourself."

The currently very ill-humoured thief crossed her arms in front of her chest and glared at the man as if he was the one responsible for her dilemma.

"Is Illumi home?"

"I don't think so. Illumi-sama has a very busy agenda so he's usually out, performing assassinations." Zeburo answered. "Would you like to talk to him as well?"

"Fuck no!" The woman snapped in a loud voice, making the poor man cringe at the high-pitched tone in it. "The whole point of Zeno coming here instead of me going there is to keep me from seeing that bastard."

"...I can easily call the butlers quarters and confirm Illumi-sama's presence. If he isn't here, are you willing to climb up to the main household to meet with Zeno-sama?"

Bleach hesitated for a second but soon nodded her agreement.

* * *

"I didn't expect to see you again so soon, girl." Zeno spoke conversationally, eyebrow raised in curiosity and amusement as he watched the woman walk into the room. "Let alone to offer me a job."

"Actually, it's the other way around." Bleach explained as she sat down on the armchair across the sofa Zeno was currently occupying. "You once told me that you could have a job for me someday. I'm here to ask if the offer is still up… and to see if it's possible for us to establish a sort of partnership."

Zeno's eyebrow rose even higher, urging the thief to continue.

"I'll be straightforward here: I've decided to become a professional thief and I want you to be my manager." Bleach spoke in a strong voice. "You already have all the appropriate contacts and channels to exchange information, possessions and money in a safe manner, without needing me to expose myself as the actual thief. Not only that, if I were to associate my services to your name, it would automatically ensure me a wide and very rich clientele."

"Indeed, there would be plenty advantages for you if I – or even a couple of my higher ranking butlers –were to serve as your manager." Zeno agreed. "But what would the Zoldycks get in return?"

"Money. 30% of my gains, which, I'm sure you know, promise to amount quite a large sum."

"70%."

"40%."

"65%."

"45%."

"60%."

"…51%. And you pay whatever habitation and transport costs that will come with my jobs."

Zeno smirked at the woman in front of him; neither of them actually needed the money, but negotiating it was always fun.

"I can abide to those conditions,  **if**  you agree to perform a minimum of 22 jobs per year, as well as complete all Undeniable Missions that come your way."

Bleach narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean,  _Undeniable Missions_?"

"Jobs that come from regular clients, or that will certainly improve the status to the Zoldyck family in the underground world are called Undeniable Missions. While not that common, they always take priority over other jobs, and cannot be refused." Zeno explained. "Nothing unreasonable, don't you agree?"

The thief spent some moments considering but soon nodded her head in agreement. "I guess these terms are adequate enough. But you'll have to agree with one more condition of mine."

"And what would that be?"

"This… arrangement will be only between the two of us. No involving everyone in your family."

"That isn't possible." Zeno shot down immediately. "My son is the current leader of the family. I can't start a whole new branch on the family business without notifying him."

Bleach scowled and debated for a minute. "…Can you at least promise not to involve Illumi in this? I want to avoid him as much as possible."

The senior assassin regarded the disgust-filled look on the woman's face with understanding eyes. Maybe he hadn't watched the whole Alluka situation with the rest of his family but Silva and Kikyo had told him everything in detail, so he could easily understand the thief's reluctance in dealing with his eldest grandson. Not only that, Kikyo had confided in him that Illumi had been trying to use her to get Killua back while the whole Chimera Ants fiasco was taking place and, despite not knowing exactly what Illumi had done to Bleach to try and accomplish his goal, Zeno knew it hadn't been pleasant.

So, despite knowing that losing Illumi's input on this new business endeavour would be somewhat harmful – like it or not, his eldest grandson had an outstanding capacity in dealing with business - to their profitd, he found he didn't really mind acquiescing to Bleach's request.

"I can promise to do what I can to keep Illumi from you." Zeno assured. "As long as our contract stands, you'll be under my protection regarding other family members and our employees. I'll not tolerate meaningless violence, coming from them or  _you_."

Bleach nodded, satisfied. "Then we have ourselves a deal."

"Good. I'll bring this matter to attention with my son and we'll write an official contract for you. Go find somewhere to settle in the town and come back in exactly one week for us to sign the contract."

"Alright." Bleach agreed as she stood up from the couch to leave. "See you next week then."

The woman was just in front of the door, hand laid on the doorknob and ready to push it open, when Zeno's voice reached her eardrums one more time.

"How is Killu, Bleach?"

The thief's whole body tensed for a second as she contemplate if she should answer the question.

"No need to fret, girl. I'm asking  _how_  he is, not  _where_."

"He's… well." Bleach answered, allowing herself to look at Zeno over her shoulder. "He's happy, and safe."

The old man smiled tiredly at nothing in particular. "Good, good. And… Alluka? How is he?"

There was no hiding the shock in Bleach's face at the question, nor the small tinge of hope that maybe -  _just maybe_  - this crazy-ass family could someday grow to understand Alluka and maybe allow her the freedom she deserved.

"She's good too. Extremely happy for being with her "Onii-chan"."

" _She?_ "

"Well, that's how Killua refers to her." Bleach explained, furrowing her eyebrows in confusion. "I always assumed that you called her a  _he_  because you were ashamed of having a girl in the family."

"There would be no reason to feel shame for having a girl in the family. Actually, Kikyo's dream was to have a daughter." Zeno spoke. "We call Alluka a  _he_  because that is how he was born: a boy."

Bleach's confusion only increased at the revelation. "Then... why does Killua insists on Alluka being a girl?"

"…Killua knows Alluka better than anyone else. If he says Alluka is a girl, it must be because he- I mean,  _she_  sees herself as a one." Zeno thought out-loud.

"Are you saying that Alluka is a transgender?"

"It makes sense."

"…How can one so young even know that?"

Zeno shrugged. "Life has taught me that nothing is impossible."

* * *

As Bleach walked out of the Doors of Hades, only one thing went through her mind.

_That menstruation comment I tried to make held no bearing whatsoever… Well, it made Killua uncomfortable; that's good enough for me._

* * *

When you have money to spare, finding a place to stay is astoundingly easy and, in the very same day, more than renting a room in a hotel, Bleach had bought herself a nice apartment in the city of Padokea. It wasn't astoundingly large with many bedrooms, but it was perfect for her plans. Since she would be living alone, the woman favoured location over space and chose an one bedroom apartment with an astounding view of Kukuroo Mountain and its hills. Also, the place was barely one block away from the touristic company responsible for the Lamentation Tour attraction; that little bus that came and went from the Gates of Hades would save the thief long walks on the next couple of weeks, if not years.

Despite only having one bedroom, the apartment was more than large enough for just one person. The bedroom was the largest room; with more than enough space to fit a queen-sized bed, and equipped with three different wardrobes as well as an armchair close to the window. The bathroom was wide and had a nice bathtub installed, not to mention a separated shower. The living room was large enough for the woman to put one of those L-shaped sofas that seemed so comfortable in the TV commercials and movies. The kitchen and laundry area were a bit small, but Bleach didn't care since she had no intentions whatsoever of cooking anything more complex than microwave meals or washing her own clothes. On that matter, she was determined not to clean the place herself either; she could afford a maid to take care of that, as well as wash her clothes and the eventual dishes she'd use, some days a week.

The only thing left for the thief to do was something she was both looking forward to and dreading at the same time: shopping for furniture. For the  _whole_  place.

"That's going to take me  _forever_."

* * *

It did.

Finding the apartment had been easy, but filling it with things to her liking was nothing short of painstakingly slow and, as satisfied as Bleach was by having a place to call her own and do whatever she wanted with it, it honestly grated on every single one of her nerves. Not only she had her own lack of experience in the matter to deal with, but every single worker of every single store she had visited insisted on helping her, giving her contradictory advices that only made the woman even more insecure about making her purchases.

That was why, even with money to spare, the thief didn't manage to furnish the whole place by the end of the week. Seven whole days went by and Bleach had to leave to Kukuroo Mountain once again, with only her bedroom and bathroom ready.

"Should've just paid someone to do the whole thing." The thief grumbled to herself, taking a seat at the furthest seat of the touristic bus. "Would've saved me so much trouble…"

* * *

The contract had been ready and waiting for her in Zeburo's watch post, along with a small package with information about her first job.

"You're supposed to go back home and study the contract before signing it." Zeburo explained with a patient smile. "Once you do, you must open the box and complete the mission inside it before returning here. If you complete this job adequately – without leaving any clues and in a timely fashion - Silva-sama and Zeno-sama will sign the contract as well. And only then it'll become a valid document, binding you and the Zeno-sama to the terms of your agreement."

* * *

Bleach disliked reading, but she didn't dare to write her name in the contract without going through the whole thing multiple times. Zeno was calm and decent enough, never giving her a reason to doubt his word, but he was still a Zoldyck and her experience with Illumi had conditioned her to distrust anyone with that last name – with the exception of Killua and Alluka, of course.

True to the image she had of the senior assassin, the contract followed their previous agreements to a T. There were no conditions in-between the lines that would trap Bleach into giving the Zoldycks information on Killua or Alluka's whereabouts.

The only added condition was a period clause that bound both Bleach and Zeno to the agreement for exact two years. If after that they wished to continue the partnership, another contract would have to be signed; and if any of them decided to terminate said partnership before the two years ran their course, the quitter party would have to pay a fine in the value of one billion jenny.

Satisfied with the contract, Bleach signed every single page of it and proceeded to open the package.

In the dead of the night, sitting alone in her new queen sized bed with only one of the bed lights on, the thief patiently read the instructions of her first official job in more than five years.

The smiled that stretched on her lips would put the Cheshire Cat to shame.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PS: this chapter's title is a blatant reference to La Roux's "In for the kill". XD


	47. As Irony Would Have It

Kalluto had become a member of the Phantom Troupe with only one objective in mind: become stronger so he could bring his beloved brother back home. He had been certain that such an infamous group would make it rain challenge upon challenge over him in a way he'd barely have time to breath.

He couldn't have been more wrong.

After the whole Chimera Ants situation in Meteor City, the few members of the Troupe who had assembled to kill those creatures went on their separate ways. Each seemed to have their own business to take care of and showed no interest whatsoever in remaining in each other's company without a reason.

" _Once Danchou recovers his Nen, he'll contact us with information on our next job."_ Shalnark explained in that carefree manner of his.  _"Until then you're free to do as you please. Maybe one of us will give you a call in the meanwhile, if we need your help once again."_

Kalluto didn't count on that call. He was the neophyte of the organization; the last one they'd come to for help. The only reason he had managed to go with them to Meteor City to fight the Chimera Ants was that the situation was big enough for all the members to be called upon. Everyone who could help at the moment showed up. So, unless aliens invaded the Earth and went straight to Meteor City, Kalluto knew that his chances of getting another job with the Phantom Troupe anytime soon were practically non-existent.

Frustrated beyond belief, the boy returned home, vowing to take the most difficult and dangerous jobs his mother had to offer. His mother would undoubtedly try to hold back and give him safe missions but he was confident that he could convince her into giving him something more challenging; not only she wanted Killu back home as much as he did, but she had also been a bit on the distracted side since his brother ran away.

It was fortunate that Illumi never took too much of an interest in him and focused his attentions' on Killu instead – something that wasn't likely to change now that  _Alluka_  was in the equation – else he'd never have the opportunity to risk himself enough to improve as fast as he wished to at the moment.

As those thoughts wandered in his mind, Kalluto reached the Gates of Hades, mechanically raising his arms in front of him to push them open.

To his surprise, they moved on their own, prompting the assassin to take a step back to avoid being hit on the face. To his shock, it was none of his family members or butlers that walked through the gates, but one of Killu's kidnappers.

"Hey there."

At the sound of the woman's nonchalant greeting, all of Kalluto's frustrations seemed to start boiling inside of him, threatening to explode at any moment, and that infuriatingly amused smirk on her lips didn't help at all.

"Calm down, brat. You look like you want to bite my head off."

Kalluto was good at hiding his emotions – not as good as Illumi; but then again, who was? – but that woman seemed to know exactly what he was feeling and it completely threw him off balance. Despite the murderous thoughts running through his mind, he was certain he hadn't been glaring or even scowling at the woman.

"I've dealt enough with Illumi to learn how to pick up some little things about reading emotions in stoic people. I might not be able to read  _that_  particular bastard yet, but you're not nearly as fu- damaged as he is so it's really not that hard to know what's running through your head right nowt. Especially at how tightly you're holding that fan of yours."

Kalluto's eyes immediately fell to his right hand, only to find it curled up in a fist around his fan; knuckles white due to the strength he was using to hold the weapon.

_Illumi wouldn't have made such a mistake._

Forcing his whole body to relax, Kalluto raised suspicious eyes to the woman smirking down at him. "What are you doing here?"

That infuriating smirk grew impossibly wide, as if she knew that what she was about to say would elect a strong reaction of the boy.

"I was just getting my next job with Tsubone as Zeno told me to. We're co-workers now! Well, not really but kind of."

Kalluto had to give it to her; she knew just how to ruffle his feathers and he couldn't help but widen his violet eyes and drop his jaw to the ground at the words that left her lips.

Before he knew it, he was running up Kukuroo Mountain, almost desperate to get answers from his grandfather.

* * *

"Bleach is working for us now. Not as an assassin though. Remember all of the requests to "retrieve" objects that we receive but never respond to? She's taking care of them."

"So, we're outsourcing her work as a thief."

"Couldn't have said it better myself."

Zeno calmly sipped his tea as his youngest grandson stared at him with wide eyes full of disbelief, and he couldn't deny the small bubbling of relief in his chest at seeing the boy showing so much emotion. Kalluto, just like Illumi and Milluki, had taken after his mother regarding appearance and personality, and Zeno always dreaded that the young boy would become a carbon copy of them – particularly Illumi.

There was no denying that his eldest grandson was an outstanding assassin and made his family proud, but somewhere along the way, he lost-

_Or did we take it from him?_

- _something_  in him, something important. And Zeno feared that losing that  _something_  had pushed his eldest grandson on the other side of the fine line between assassination and murder. Silva saw it too, and even Kikyo, who had always supported Illumi in everything he did, was now wondering if, perhaps, her eldest son was starting to pervert the assassins' ways to suit his own agenda.

" _I trust my Killu knows what he's doing."_ The woman had confided in him, soon after telling him how she ordered Tsubone to cease tracking Killu and Alluka and, for all effects, setting them free. _"Freeing Alluka… it might've been for the best. Maybe someday, my Illu will see it too."_

Zeno hadn't been there to watch the whole Alluka ordeal, but if it had been enough to convince even Kikyo – one of the most manipulative people Zeno had ever met (not that it was a bad thing, especially in the assassination business) – to cease her attempts at controlling her precious Killu's actions, it should've been enough to do the same to Illumi.

But it wasn't, and Zeno could do nothing about it but hope that his eldest grandson's Inner Mission of manipulating Killua to control Alluka would never be fulfilled.

…And thank whatever god there was that Millu was too busy with his games to follow into Illumi's footsteps, and that Kallu was born after Killu and, as such, never was as excessively pressured by his eldest brother to become a "perfect assassin".

"Why do something like that?" Kalluto asked, determined not to let the subject of Bleach's employment die.

"Why not?"

"Because she isn't family."

"She's not becoming a partner in the family business, Kallu. She's an investment; a very profitable one." Zeno explained. "She works  _for_ us, not  _with_ us. And you don't have to worry about her intruding in our line of work; I won't allow it and she doesn't want to. She asked me to be her manager, not her co-worker."

The boy relaxed somewhat, having some of his worries placated.

"But that doesn't mean you can't benefit from her presence here."

Immediately, the tension returned to his small frame. "What do you mean?"

"That thief's stealth is outstanding; I've never seen anything like it before. And from what I gathered from your parents and Illumi, she has some very unique abilities. She might be a worthy source of improvement for you."

"You're suggesting that I…  _train_  with her?"

"Why not? Wasn't that the reason you decided to join the Phantom Troupe, to become stronger?"

"Yes, but-"

"Give it a try then. You have nothing to lose. Who knows? You might even get some personal growth out of it."

* * *

Bleach was not ashamed to admit it: whenever she entered the Zoldyck compound, she activated "Paranoid Mode".

Despite Zeno agreeing not to call her in whenever Illumi was in the premises, the thief always moved in the shadows and using Zetsu to go to the butlers' quarters, where she'd usually perform the necessary transactions of her jobs. In the two months she had been working under Zeno, he had yet to call her for a personal meeting, which was just fine for Bleach; the furthest she remained from the main house and its inhabitants, the better.

And it was in a day such as this that Bleach's paranoid choice in sneaking through the Zoldycks' compound paid off.

As soon as she had put her feet on Zoldyck territory, the thief felt, for the split of a second, eyes watching her and immediately took into a sprint to the thickest area of the forest. From there, she disappeared into the shadows and, with her concealment, the feeling of being watched disappeared.

But not the feeling of being chased.

Seeming brown eyes narrowed as the only name that came to her mind was Illumi's. Because of that, the thief immediately summoned Runvle's mirror and started to round the area around her as she searched for signs of her chaser, always keeping herself in the safety of the shadows.

It took Bleach a good while, but she finally found her pursuer. However, to her surprise, it wasn't Illumi the one after her, but the youngest Zoldyck: Kalluto.

_Of course. Illumi wouldn't have lost sight of me so easily. Nor would I have been able to find him so quickly, if at all._

The boy seemed frustrated to no end as he tried to find the woman with his senses alone and, after some minutes of stalking and observing his futile quest, Bleach took pity on the child and revealed herself to him.

"You should be using that magical confetti that you found me with in the Ten Dons house." Bleach commented with a lazy smirk on her lips and an amused eyebrow high in her forehead as she allowed Runvel's mirror to disappear from her hand. "If you were, you might've actually had a chance of finding me."

Kalluto's muscles tensed at the woman's sudden appearance but, other than that, he gave no sign of being surprised by it.

"Finding you wasn't the main reason of my searching." Kalluto stated in an unfeeling voice. "Enhancing my senses and stealth were."

Bleach's smirk faltered and her eyebrows furrowed at those words.

"Are you using me as some sort of… training partner?"

"No. Training  _gear_  would be a more adequate expression."

"…Why? I thought your family trained you."

"Grandfather insists that interacting with you might help me become stronger even faster." Kalluto explained, voice laced with a tint of bitterness. "He said that training with someone outside our family might give me  _perspective_. Why would I ever need the perspective of someone like  _you_ , I don't know."

Bleach couldn't help but blink at the travestied boy in front of her. Never in a million years would she imagine that one of the arrogant and infamous Zoldycks would ever want - let alone admit it - her to train them.

Well, Kalluto hadn't actually said anything like that but, in Bleach's crazy brain, the boy's words had been as good as a request for her to become his mentor.

And the thief's eyes shone at the prospect. She remembered how Ging and Biske – and her guardians, in a more abstract manner - kicked her ass when they trained her and the idea of being able to do it to someone else was nothing short of mouth-watering.

"Alright, brat. I agree to train you-"

Kalluto stared at Bleach as if she had grown a second head. When had he asked her to train him?

"-but not today because I need to check in with Tsubone to complete my job, and not here because… well I don't like your home. Meet me tomorrow at 3PM in the town's Main Square. Ah! And put on some normal clothing, will ya? I need you to blend in for what we're going to do."

With that, Bleach once again disappeared into the forest's shadows, leaving a very confused Kalluto to wonder just what in the hell he got himself into.

* * *

It was almost 4PM and there was no sign of that annoying woman. As if that wasn't enough to aggravate Kalluto, people often stopped by to ask if he was lost and where were his parents. Only his training with Illumi allowed Kalluto to keep his self-control and not initiate a mass murder right there on Padokea's Main Square.

_I'll wait until 4PM. If she doesn't show up by then, I might just let it slip to Illumi about her partnership with Grandpa, despite him and Dad asking me not to._

Absentmindedly, Kalluto reached inside his pants' right pocket – he had even followed through with the she-devil's request and was currently wearing jeans and a sweatshirt instead of his usual kimonos – to check for any messages from his family or the Phantom Troupe.

Only to find it missing.

He then tried the left pocket. It wasn't like him but he could have put the phone in there with his wallet.

Said wallet was missing as well.

Instinctively, Kalluto reached inside his sweatshirt's kangaroo pocket to grab his paper fan and felt his blood pressure sky-rocket at finding it missing too.

_How-_

"Took you long enough."

It was the she-devil's voice that drawled behind him, carrying a sea of amusement that only served to annoy the boy even further. However, despite his anger, Kalluto managed to keep his calm and turn around slowly, to face that annoying woman with an impassive mask on his face.

At first he didn't recognize the thief; she was wearing an uncharacteristic colourful outfit, sunglasses that covered most of her face and a hat that covered her white hair. He only noticed it was her because she was fanning herself with his precious weapon despite the chill that announced the beginnings of the autumn season, and reading the messages on his phone.

That vision was enough to destroy his carefully constructed mask of indifference and make him glare daggers at the thief.

"Give th-"

"Shal and Nobu didn't tell me they had a new member in the Troupe." The woman continued in a lazy tone. "Seems to me that your family has been expanding their business even before I made my appearance."

And just like that the boy's anger was replaced by shock and confusion. "Are you talking about Shalnark and Nobunaga?"

The she-devil stopped fanning herself and raised her sun-glasses covered eyes from his phone's screen to give him a teasing smirk that answered his question all too well.

"We'll talk about them at a later date." The woman settled, throwing Kalluto's phone and wallet back to him. The fan – his weapon – she kept to herself.  _Smart._ "Now, we talk about how I managed to steal all of your things without you being none the wiser."

Kalluto should've felt great irritation at being reminded of his recent failure but, surprisingly, couldn't find the emotion within him. That thief was in a whole different level than him and she was ready to train him in a way that, he was sure, would be completely different from anything his family had ever thrown his way. She would give him a very different perspective of his own skills, just like the Phantom Troupe had done months ago.

_I'll give this a try, Grandpa._

* * *

Bleach talked about stealth and Zetsu, about becoming someone's shadow, about cheating people's senses and hiding in plain sight for the better part of an hour, and Kalluto was soon regretting ever believing the woman had anything to teach him that his family couldn't. Undoubtedly, her earlier prank on him – stealing his possessions just for the heck of it – was nothing more than luck; he had been focused on spotting her through the crowd and didn't pay enough attention to what was happening close to him; also she was purposefully dressed to trick his senses.

And he was determined to prove that by passing the stupid test she had just initiated.

" _I'm going to wander around, stealing things from random people around us. When I return, you'll have to tell me exactly what I stole, from whom, when and how. If you get everything right, I'll buy you some ice cream."_

With that in mind, Kalluto watched the thief walk through the crowd around them, paying absolute attention to the slightest twitch of the fingers in her hands, trying to follow every theft she performed.

_I will pass this._

* * *

"8 out of 25. You fail."

Kalluto couldn't hide his surprise. In less than 30 minutes the she-devil not only had filled her enormous handbag to the brim with wallets, electronic devices (all turned off and without their SIM cards to avoid being traced) and jewellery, but she also managed to do so without allowing him to even see most of it. What she did was much more than trailing someone without them noticing her, way more than "hiding in plain sight" as she tried to say before.

What she did was just… natural. Every step and every movement of her hands was made in such a way that it was simply impossible for  _anyone_  around her to as much as suspect she was up to some mischief. Even knowing the thief's intentions and paying close attention to her, Kalluto hadn't been able to see her stealing even half of what she did.

It wasn't luck that made the woman so good at what she did. It wasn't even practice.

_Her stealth goes even deeper than Zetsu. She can disappear from sight in broad day light without as much as leaving their field of vision, blind someone to her true intentions with fake smiles and words, breath down on their necks with them being none the wiser, touch the whole expanse of their bodies without they feeling anything._

The she-devil's stealth was much different from his and his family's. They could easily follow someone for hours on a row without being spotted, waiting for the exact moment to reveal themselves and assassinate their targets. But they couldn't interact time and time again with someone without they realizing it, as she had just done. They had never needed to; after all, the dead don't speak.

But, as amazed as he was by the woman's stealth, Kalluto couldn't see why she had developed it to such extension. Stealing from the same person three times in less than 30 minutes was a neat party trick, but he saw no use in it when she could've just waited until they were alone and killed them, allowing her to take everything at once without the risk of being caught red-handed.

And he asked her why.

"Are you for real?" The woman asked with wide eyes full of incredulous indignation. "Kill someone for something as banal as a wallet or a necklace? Damn, how do your parents get their kids so fuc- crazy? You know what? I'm not going to waste my time trying to tell you just how absurd it is for me to kill someone for money because I know you won't understand it. Instead, I'm going to use logic. It's a complete overkill – pun  _intended_  - to get rid of someone for something you don't even really need. Also, it's kind of a blunder to your line of work, isn't it? You sell other people's lives for a living and you get a very nice sum out of it. In other words: human lives are worth  _a lot_. Killing people for a couple of thousands of jenny – if that – or just because you can goes completely against it."

Kalluto actually paused to give the woman's words consideration.

_Is this why Dad and Illumi don't see eye to eye anymore? Because Illumi is willing to kill as many people as he sees necessary people to get Nii-san and Alluka back? Could it be that what Tsubone said to Mama was right? Is Illumi truly deviating from our path?_

Suddenly, the saying on his grandfather's clothes acquired a completely different meaning. "One day  _One_  kill"… just the necessary to complete the job. Nothing more, nothing less.

"Hey! You in there, brat?"

The thief's loud voice got Kalluto to return his attention to his surroundings, finding the woman staring down at him with eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Return my fan to me. It's late and I should be going home." He needed to get away from her; the  _perspective_  she was giving him was starting to bring him a headache Maybe he should talk to his grandfather and mother, if they had the time.

"Well, I intended for you to have a go at stealing too so I could see how good you are… but I guess it is getting kind of late. Don't you want some ice cream before you go?"

It was Kalluto's turn to furrow his eyebrows, but the expression held suspicion instead of confusion. "I failed the test. Why would you reward me? Unless you plan to poison me as punishment."

A brief, almost bitter chuckle left the woman's lips as she shook her head and handed the boy's fan back to him.

"You Zoldycks grow too fast. Thank gods Killua ran away when he did. Maybe it was also a good thing that Alluka wasn't allowed any contact with you-"

Those words were surprisingly hurtful to Kalluto. He missed Killu terribly and hearing that he might've been better off without him and their family was a cruel blow. His Nii-san was by far his favourite brother.

…And the reason for it was exactly that he didn't treat him as Illumi or Milluki did. Killu was playful and kind to him; more than even his father had ever been.

"-Well, suit yourself. I'm going to the ice cream parlour and stuff my face. I don't know why, but this chilly weather has really got me craving ice cream." Bleach finished speaking and turned around, not even waiting for a response before walking away.

Kalluto stood in the Main Square for several minutes, thinking about the woman's words and their repercussions. It was obvious that his grandfather and parents were starting to see some signs of wear in the family, especially when it came to Illumi. The relationship between his elder brother and their father and grandfather had never been exactly smooth but since the Alluka situation, it was downright strained. Illumi was spending more and more time away from home, completing jobs and - according to the bits of his parents' conversations that Kalluto caught every once in a while - searching for Killu and Alluka. The few days Illumi spent home were filled with a thick tension and passive-aggressive arguments between him and their father.

Because of that, interacting with his family members had been difficult lately; even his mother seemed to be too preoccupied with Illumi's intentions to spend as much time with Kalluto as she used to. Zeno was trying to be around more for the youngest Zoldyck, but there was only so much one person could do.

Kalluto frowned at his line of though. It wasn't like he didn't understand that the tense situation they were in demanded more of his mother's attention than him; but he really needed to learn how to properly interact with people – and manipulate them - to become a talented assassin. And he sure wasn't going to learn that by dealing with a violent and socially-challenged Milluki or butlers that bowed at his every step. Maybe he could use the she-devil to train his social skills, as well as his physical ones.

" _Who knows? You might even get some emotional growth out of it."_

His grandfather surely seemed to think so and Kalluto couldn't help but let out a suffering groan at what he was about to do.

_I can't believe I'll have one of Nii-san's kidnappers training me._

* * *

Bleach was in line, ready to buy herself a second serving of ice cream when a familiar head of lustrous black hair entered the store. She watched the boy walk to her and stop by her side in silence, glaring at anything he settled his eyes on. The thief decided to ignore her companion's foul mood, going as far as ordering for him when he didn't respond to her question about what flavour he preferred.

Without a word, both walked to a small table by the window and started to eat their ice cream in silence.

A silence that was surprisingly broken by none other than Kalluto.

"I want you to continue to train me. Please."

The woman's eyes didn't widen at the request; she had deduced that this decision had been the cause for the boy's foul mood the moment he walked into the parlour. They widened at hearing the young  _Zoldyck_  boy saying the "P word" so easily and truthfully.

"Same time, next week?" The woman asked after seconds of stunned silence.

"Whatever is best for you."

Bleach couldn't help but drop her jaw at those words. The boy was just so… compliant.

_Is he really Illumi's brother?_

Somehow, she wasn't opposed to finding out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this is where begins the OOC-ness... As you can see, I'm going in uncharted territory here with Kalluto's personality and would really, REALLY love your opinions about it. =.=
> 
> The boy seems to be quite the submissive one, as long as it is with someone he considers on a more elevated "level" than himself (family, Phantom Troupe) and I used that as base to work with him. While Bleach ranks nowhere near his family in matters of importance, she still has a lot to give to the boy so I don't think he'd mind swallowing a bit of his pride if it helped him become stronger to find Killua. Also, he doesn't strike me as being as manipulative as Illumi, so... yeah.  
> But that's my take on him. What do YOU think? *.*
> 
> Well, hope you all enjoyed this chapter! :)
> 
> Kisses,  
> RedVoid


	48. Old Dogs, New Tricks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the delay! I had this chapter almost ready for some days now, but went on a trip without my notebook, so I couldn't finish it until today. =.=

_Without a word, both walked to a small table by the window and started to eat their ice cream in silence._

_A silence that was surprisingly broken by none other than Kalluto._

_"I want you to continue to train me. Please._ "

* * *

For the next month, Bleach continued training Kalluto in the arts of stealth. Both tried to schedule their jobs so they'd be in Padokea during Mondays' afternoons so they could meet up in the Main Square for their training sessions.

Bleach was very surprised at finding just how obedient the boy truly was. In the few sessions they had together, the boy complied with every order she gave him without as much as sighing, and – Bleach would be the first to admit it – some of them seemed completely ridiculous. Like wearing a neon lime coach and neon orange pants during his thefts.

Still, the boy pulled that one off, even if not as easily as Bleach had hoped. He was emanating awkwardness and shame at wearing such flashy outfit that seemed to grab even more attention than the outfit itself. But Bleach didn't find it in her to blame Kalluto; the young assassin had been raised to follow his family's patterns, and that outfit and the attention it earned him didn't belong to said patterns. Nor did talking to strangers, and the thief had made the boy chat with many of them, to try and blind them with innocent smiles as he stole their wallets.

It had surprised Bleach to no end how hard it was for the youngest Zoldyck to approach a stranger with a smile on his face, let alone engage them in fakely good-natured conversation, on the first couple of times. She had thought Illumi would've initiated the boy on the arts of manipulating people.

Bleach had gone as far as directly asking Kalluto about it as they ate their post-training ice cream and the answer she received gave her more relief than she would ever admit.

" _Illumi never had much time to train me; he had to focus on Nii-san's training. My training was mainly focused on assassination skills and pain-endurance, with Mama and Milluki."_

Kalluto's submissive behaviour suddenly made a lot more sense; Bleach didn't know much about his mother, but she doubted that pig he had for an older brother would stand for much disobedience.

Bleach tried to dig further into the matter of Zoldycks' training, curious about what exactly could transform a kid as trustworthy as Killua or as passive as Kalluto in a disgustingly manipulative bastard like Illumi, but the youngest Zoldyck soon stopped answering her questions. No matter how compliant he was, Kalluto didn't want to risk betraying his family in any way.

Of course, that didn't stop Bleach from talking. And, since the only thing they had in common was Killua, the Hunter would more often than not talk about their adventures in the last year. It amazed Kalluto to no end, the things Killu had done while away from home. But it also pained the boy to know he wasn't there with his brother for all of this.

Kalluto's first choice, of course, would've been for Killua to remain home with him and the rest of their family. But, if his Nii-san had asked him to run away from home together…

It would be difficult for the youngest Zoldyck to leave his mother side but he couldn't deny that, just maybe, for Killua, he'd have done so.

Kalluto felt an unpleasant feeling of guilt crawl up his chest at his last thought and immediately excused himself from table, leaving the ice cream parlour - and a very confused Bleach - to run back home.

Little did he know, his bad feelings were more than appropriate for what was to come.

* * *

Despite his young age, Kalluto understood very well that Bleach did not see his eldest brother in a good light. During their few meetings, the thief had barely said a handful of words about Illumi but whenever those words left her mouth, the usual smirk that adorned the woman's face gave place to an ugly scowl that seemed able to scare the wildest beasts in submission.

Illumi seemed to have a strong opinion about the thief too. When asked about her, his brother said the thief was a complex character –  _the most exasperating and difficult woman he had ever had to deal with_  – but still a very worth pawn to have. Despite saying those things with a neutral expression and a nonchalant voice, Illumi made it clear to his brother that he hadn't yet forgotten his plans regarding her – whatever those may be. They were still on the back of his mind, waiting for an opportunity to present itself.

That opportunity was something that Kalluto could never give him.

If Illumi got word about Bleach's nearby location and her periodic meetings with him, he feared his brother would see himself almost obliged to take action and try to make his plans regarding the woman become reality.

However, that would most likely collide with his grandfather's own intentions for the future of the thief with their family. In a voice that left no room for arguments, Zeno had told Kalluto that, as his employee, Bleach was under his protection regarding the rest of the Zoldyck family and their other employees.

No doubts, Illumi's plans for Bleach were less than amiable and involved no small degree of Nen Manipulation, something that went directly against Zeno's stance regarding the thief. And if Illumi did take action, it would damage his already strained relationship with his grandfather even more; maybe to the point of creating a deep enough rift between them to send them on opposing Inner Missions. Inner Missions that would most likely result in direct confrontation and severed family ties. And the last thing the Zoldyck family needed at the moment was more conflicts amongst its members.

Personally, Kalluto saw no problem in manipulating the woman a little bit, if it was to bring Killua back. However, the leaders of the family – his father, grandfather and even his mother – were of the opinion that Killua – and by extension, Alluka – should be allowed his freedom, which defeated the purpose of manipulating Bleach.

Illumi, on the other hand, was of the opinion that Killua and Alluka should be retrieve,  _immediately._

Because of that divergence in opinions, there was already a thick tension in the household, and this possible conflict regarding the thief could be enough to make the Zoldycks take sides. And Kalluto knew no one would take Illumi's at the moment. His older brother could be driven away from home.

While the relationship between the oldest and youngest Zoldyck siblings had never been exactly close, Kalluto still would do everything in his power to keep Illumi right where he was: home. He had already lost Killu; he wouldn't stand to lose anyone else.

And for that, Kalluto would have to find a way to keep his meetings with Bleach a secret from his brother-

"Welcome back, Kallu."

-who had been waiting for his return, hidden in the shadows of the forest surrounding their home.

"Illu-nii." Kalluto greeted, doing his best to hide his dread behind an emotionless mask, like his eldest brother had taught him to. "I'm surprised to see you here. I thought you wouldn't return until the day after tomorrow."

"I finished my job earlier." Illumi answered as he took some steps towards his younger brother, stopping only when he was right in front of him. After seconds of intense staring, he knelt down and laid his right hand atop the boy's head, leaving his thumb to rest on the boy's forehead. "You also surprised me, Kallu. I didn't expect you to go out to town. Ever. Actually, I don't think you would if there wasn't a very good reason for you to do so-"

Kalluto felt the distinctive prick of a needle on his forehead and felt his whole body tense in response, but other than that did nothing. He knew that he would never be able to fight back, not against Illumi.

"-And I'm truly curious to what good enough reason has pulled you from home.  _Has been_  pulling you from home, every Monday afternoon for the last four weeks."

The young assassin couldn't help but widen his eyes. Partly from the steadily increasing pain on his forehead; mostly from Illumi's unpredicted knowledge about his weekly "appointments".

"Don't show such surprise, Kallu; I taught you better than that." Illumi scolded in a teasing voice, pressing his thumb even harder on the boy's forehead, pushing his needle inside his skull slowly. "And to answer your unspoken question. I may spend more time away from home than I used to, but that doesn't mean I'm not privy to what you're doing; I still have access to your job logs and I've noticed that, for the past month, you've been only taking jobs that allow you to be home on Mondays. Mondays that, I've heard from some of our butlers, you're spending wandering around town, something you've never done before-"

Kalluto felt fear crawl up his spine. Fear at the consequences of Illumi finding out about Bleach's residency in Padokea and fear at the needle already half-way inside his skull.

"-And I'm truly curious as to what has triggered such change of behaviour. Could it be that you're contacting Killu without my knowing about it?"

"N-No." Kalluto whispered his response. "I was just…"

It took everything Kalluto had not to say the truth as the needle dug even deeper into his skull. The child could feel his brother's Nen start to enter him and it chilled him to the bone.

"Yes?"

"Just-"

"He was training-"

Both Zoldycks visibly froze at the strong, feminine voice coming from behind Illumi and above. It didn't take a genius to understand she had been watching everything from the top of a tree.

"-With me."

Not bothering to pull out the needle from his brother's forehead – maybe he should just shove the rest of it inside – Illumi stood up from the grassy ground, turning around so he could face the owner of that voice. Standing atop a tall tree branch was none other than his favourite puppet, glaring down at him with those falsely dull but still burning eyes of hers.

"Bleach!" Illumi exclaimed with true excitement and fake pleasantness. "It is  _such_  a pleasure to see you again."

"Can't say the same." The thief retorted in a voice filled with cold disgust. "I hoped never have to stare at your ugly face again."

Kalluto felt the tension crackling in the air, as well as both Hunters' Nen, and found himself unable to move. He didn't dare to as much as try and remove the needle still partially protruding from his forehead for fear of becoming the new receptacle for his brother's monstrous Nen.

"…And yet you're training my younger brother? How exactly did that tiny brain of yours lead you to believe you could keep that a secret from me?"

Bleach shrugged. "Didn't really plan on helping out Kalluto in his training, let alone how to keep you in the dark about it."

_But I did take all precautions necessary to make it impossible for you to ever reach Killua and Alluka through me, with or without your Manipulation._

"Evidently." The assassin agreed promptly, dropping his head to the side in a curious manner. "What brings to question: how did you find yourself training my brother?"

"I'll answer you." Bleach stated, briefly moving her glare from Illumi to Kalluto. " **If**  Kalluto is by my side in the next 10 seconds."

It took one second for Illumi to consider the thief's proposition, another for him to nod his acquiescence and a third one for Kalluto to appear by her side.

In the fourth second, Bleach pulled the needle from the boy's forehead.

"Go home, Kalluto." The woman ordered, not moving her distrusting eyes from Illumi. "Meet me tomorrow at the Main Square, same time as today."

For one instant, Kalluto hesitated in complying with Bleach's order, but the little burst of Aura coming from his older brother, urging him to do as told, was enough to put an end to that. Disobedience had not been bred into him, especially when it involved his family, so without a word the young boy started to run back home. If Illumi wanted to be alone with the Bleach, he wouldn't be the one to stand in his way.

But, just maybe, he could alert his father about what was taking place.

* * *

It was a very difficult thing, to surprise Illumi, but, as per usual, Bleach found a way to do it.

"You're… working? For my family?"

The assassin's voice held its usual emotionless nonchalance as they formed the words, but the man couldn't help but feel as if he had just been punched by them. If what she said was true, that thief had been coming and going from his family's grounds practically at her will for almost two months now without his knowing. And his whole family knew about it, and  _helped_  to keep her presence a secret from him.  _They_   _betrayed me_.

"No. I'm working for Zeno." Bleach answered, still occupying a high place on one of the branches in the tree before the assassin. "And my contract includes protection against unjustified attacks from all of the Zoldycks and their employees. In other words, if I don't attack you first, your Nen can't touch me."

"I never agreed to these terms." Illumi stated in a firm voice, as if daring Bleach to taunt him further.

And she didn't intend on disappointing.

"But your father did and he's the head of the family. Are you willing to go against him? Just to mess with my sanity?"

"While corroding the little sanity you have left is always an amusing activity, it pales in comparison to what I can accomplish with you as my puppet."

"I have no ways to contact, let alone locate, Killua." Bleach spoke as an acid smirk stretched on her lips. "When I decided to work for your family, I and the brat ceased all sort of correspondence that didn't depend solely on his initiative. He can message me whenever he wants and I can respond with one message of my own, but I can't reach him otherwise. And even if you were to be there, listening to every word we said, there would be no way for you to trace Killua. We've arranged the technology necessary for it, and he already knows better than to give up any clues about his whereabouts."

Illumi felt his anger towards the thief grow with every word that left her lips, but refrained from showing any sign of it. Instead, he steered their conversation to another direction entirely.

"I see you've spent a lot of time planning all of that, just to get close to my family. Or maybe… it was just  _me_  you wanted to approach." The assassin spoke with a perverted smirk on his face, one that made Bleach want to hurl a rock at him. "You know, I'm more than willing to use your  _services_  once again."

Bleach scowled in disgust at the innuendo in the man's voices. "No money in the world could afford you _-" or anyone_  "-any of  _those_  services."

"Someone sure is losing perspective of her own worth." Illumi mocked, widening the smirk on his face. "Lovely, you're barely worth the hour-price of a cheap motel room. Well, maybe I could throw a low-grade bottle of vodka, just to make your day. But only if you put your back into it, if you know what I mean."

Bleach's scowl deepened and she felt her Nen surge around her, as if begging her to forget all about Killua and Alluka's safety and make that disgusting pig swallow his words.

And, if not for a third presence appearing from the shadows, she might've tried just that.

"I didn't teach you to behave so vulgarly, Illumi. Especially with our guests."

Silva's cold voice seemed to echo through the whole forest as he walked to his son, using his large frame to obscure Bleach from the black-haired man's sight.

"You'll apologize to Bleach. And make an oath, in the name of our family, that you won't dare to harm or use Nen to manipulate her unless in self-defence, for as long as she works for us."

The leader of the Zoldyck family crossed his large arms over his massive chest and stared down at his son with eyes that promised severe punishment if he dared to disobey his orders.

Not that Illumi wasn't going to be punished already for trying to use Nen to manipulate Kallu.

Illumi smiled in a way that would make anyone believe the assassin was truly happy at having his father in the conversation when, for the first time in his life, he wanted nothing more than to shove a barrage of needles in his skull.

"Of course, Father. I don't know what came over me." He spoke in an apologetic tone before bending his body to the side so he could stare at Bleach once more. "I'm truly sorry, Bleach. I'm just stressed at losing my favourite brother; surely you can understand. And I swear to you that you have nothing to worry about when it comes to being in my presence; I wouldn't dare to harm you in any way. As long as you're under my father's protection."

Bleach almost snarled at Illumi. "Why don't you go fu-"

"Girl. Just accept the apology."

Silva's voice wasn't loud as he glared over his shoulder at the woman, but it was more than imposing enough for the thief to shut up and nod her head in submission.

"Good enough." The large man spoke and returned his glare to his son. "Let's go. Dinner is almost ready and your mother wants everyone to be present."

"Of course." Illumi agreed promptly. "It is so rare for all of her children to be present- oh, wait! Killu isn't here. My poor mother… having her son ignore her. With the blessing of her husband nonetheless-"

Silva's right arm twitched with the effort it took not to slam the back of his hand on his eldest son's face

"-Oh well. Hardships of life, right?" The younger assassin finished with a shrug. "Let's go, Father. Wouldn't want to keep Mother waiting." Then he fixed his eyes on Bleach one more time, to give her a smile filled with torrid promises. "Until next time, Bleach."

Before the thief could protest and say there wouldn't be a next time, both assassins disappeared from her vision, leaving her to cover her face with a trembling hand and sigh in relief.

_That could've gone worse._

Bleach glared down at the needle in her hand, painted crimson with Kalluto's blood.

_A lot worse._

* * *

Dinner at the Zoldyck household was filled with a thick and aggressive silence and Kikyo couldn't help but miss Zeno's presence at the table. The senior assassin had a way of making serious situations not seem as bad as they truly were.

However, she wasn't sure that even Grandpa's presence would've been enough to lighten the mood this time.

Since he had found out about Illumi's needle in Killu's forehead, Silva had expressively prohibited his eldest son - and Millu and Kallu too, as he was at it already - of using Nen to manipulate any family members again, and now that order had almost been broken. It was more than enough to make the air sparkle with animosity and promises of punishments to come.

And, despite her manipulative nature, Kikyo had decided not to take her son's side this time. She was starting to agree with her husband on the matter; maybe their first-born had become a bit too emotionless and selfish, even for an assassin's standards.

After watching how much her beloved Killu -  _and Alluka and Nanika_  - suffered at the hands of his family during the whole Alluka ordeal, Kikyo promised herself to try and lessen the control the family – mainly her and Illumi – enforced upon their children. She didn't want to push too far with Kallu as she had done with Killu; she wouldn't survive losing another of her babies.

And Kallu was just that: her baby. The boy had always been extremely attached to her, going as far as dressing with feminine kimonos to appease her unspoken desire for a daughter and doing whatever he could to make her happy. Kikyo was no fool; she knew how hard the boy was training just so he could bring Killu back to them, to  _her_. Kallu had always been the most obliging of her children, the one she knew she would always be able to count on for anything.

There was no good reason enough that could justify an attempt at manipulating her sweet, sweet Kallu but Illumi had tried to even so and, for the first time in many years, Kikyo didn't defend her eldest son's penchant for cold-blooded manipulation. No matter how much she understood the need to control others and make sure they made the  _right_  decisions, she couldn't accept that power being used on her baby. If it depended on her, he could use his Nen on anyone else – strangers, their butlers, that thief – but not Kallu.

_That thief… what to do about her?_

The ghost of the woman's presence in her home was another thing that was bothering Kikyo immensely. While she disliked outsiders in general, she couldn't help but concede that the thief had been somewhat useful for their family in the last couple of months.

Not only she was increasing the Zoldyck fortune and fame even more, she was also helping Kalluto grow.

Her youngest son had always been an introvert. But, ever since Killu left, the boy became even more distant from his family, something that, it pained Kikyo to admit, went unnoticed for a long time. She had been too worried thinking about Killu to see that she was pushing Kallu into second plan; only when he left to join the Phantom Troupe did she understand how isolated her youngest – the one who most needed his family support - had become in his own home. Outside his training sessions with her and Millu, Kallu had no significant contact with his family; they were too busy dealing with other issues that, at the time, seemed to be more important.

It came to the point that Kallu decided to take matters in his own hands. Without any sort of real perspective about the world or experience in dealing with people, her baby, who had always been in her shadows, left home on his own to join that uncouth group of murdering thieves.

And, when he returned, the family was already going through another crisis, maintaining Kikyo's contact with him at a minimum. Besides Killu, she was the only one who truly interacted with Kallu outside training and, as such, the only one noticing the boy's isolation.

Or so she thought.

To her immense relief and delight, Zeno also noticed Kallu's need to interact with people and started doing his best to approach the boy whenever he had the chance.

But that still wasn't enough and she knew it; Kallu needed someone else to interact with on a more regular basis, someone that wasn't a superior. He needed someone to take Killu's place as his Nii-san.

He needed… a friend.

Kikyo had once been dead-set against any sort of bounding outside family - especially regarding Killu, the future heir of the family business- however, after witnessing first-hand the effects such sort of isolation had brought upon Illu and Millu, as well as the suffering it provided Killu, she found herself slowly warming up to the concept.

…She had had friends once. Actually, long ago, before meeting Silva, friends were all she truly had.

_If one could ever use such a word in Meteor City._

And that was when that thief appeared and started to work for Zeno, who all but forced Kallu to go and train with her.

When she first found out about that, Kikyo had been livid at the idea of her baby dealing with one of the monsters who took Killu from her, but with calm words and lots of patience, Grandpa convinced her to give it a chance.

" _Why don't you go see what they're doing? If it's anything you disagree, you can forbid Kallu of continuing to meet with her. He'd never disobey you."_

And she did.

Hidden in the shadows, Kikyo watched her Kallu's dealings with the damned serpent, and it surprised her just how much that woman reminded her of her dear Killu. Not only because of that white hair of hers, but also because of the way she'd smile at Kallu every now and then-

_Most likely, my Kallu reminds her a little of Killu as well._

-making Kikyo understand she'd be as good replacement Kallu would ever have to his Nii-san.

Because of that, Kikyo allowed Kallu to continue seeing the woman on Monday afternoons, by default joining the ever-growing conspiracy existing in their home not to let Illumi find out about the thief's close presence to their family.

Of course, she knew that one day the truth would come forward, but she hoped to delay it long enough for Kallu to reap as many benefits as interacting with the woman – and all the strangers she demanded him to – would have to his future life as an assassin. Once she ceased to be useful, Kikyo really didn't care what became of that serpent; Illumi could melt her brain with his Nen for all she cared, but only as long as it didn't bring any sort of repercussions to their family.

"You're not going. Right, Kallu?"

Illumi's words cut the thick silence as a cleaver would cut a blood-red steak and Silva opened his mouth to speak, but his wife beat him to it.

"Go where?" Kikyo demanded, focusing her visor on her youngest son, who was sitting right by her side. "What is he talking about, Kallu?"

The boy sunk a little on his seat before answering with his purple eyes fixed on the food.

"To the Main Square. Bleach told me to meet her there tomorrow."

"And you won't meet with her. Ever again." Illumi resumed, bottomless eyes fixed on his youngest brother's face. "Continuing to interact with her would be stupid. There's nothing she can teach you that your family can't. Unless… your intentions for meeting with her periodically are other, more personal ones. But they're not. Right, Kallu? After all, assassins don't need friends."

"I… I know that."

Illumi smiled.

"Then you won't ever meet with that woman ag-"

"He will."

The thick silence of a few moments ago returned full force as soon as the words left Kikyo's lips. Everyone was stunned at hearing the matriarch of the Zoldycks, the one who had first uttered the "assassins don't need friends" mantra to her children, overrule her eldest son's order. Illumi didn't respond to that-  _couldn't_  respond to that. Because, surely, he had heard his mother wrong. She'd never stand for one of her sons meeting with a stranger so often.

Would she?

"That thief is doing wonders for Kallu's growth as an assassin and I approve of his training with her. Training that was first prompted by your Grandfather, Illu." Kikyo spoke in a no-nonsense voice. "Therefore, he'll continue to meet with her until she no longer proves herself useful to him."

"Mother, surely-"

"You mother's word is final, Illumi." Silva cut in firmly as he pushed himself up from the table. "Now, follow me. It's time to your punishment for trying to use Nen to manipulate Kalluto."

Illumi's eyes moved through his brothers' silent forms – Millu lowered his gaze and kept on eating, while Kallu gently pulled on their mother's sleeve, staring at her with confused eyes - before settling on his mother, who stared back at him with a fixed visor.

He couldn't believe this. She was the one who had taught him to  _never_  care about anyone outside his family as well as the one responsible for training him in the arts of Manipulation, and yet there she was, allowing Kalluto to keep a "friend" and not even lifting a finger to stop his father from unjustly punishing him.

Wearing a blank expression to hide the betrayal, surprise and lack of understanding of the whole situation, Illumi quietly stood up from the table to follow his father out of the dining room. All the while, he could only think:

_What is happening here?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, Illumi is back and, this time, he's here to stay. I know some of you were rather anxious for that. ;)
> 
> And Kikyo has finally made an appearance! I know I'm going waaaay overboard with her characterization here but I really couldn't help myself. XD  
> I mean, she went from protesting agaisnt Silva's decision of letting Killua go and become firends with Gon to being the one who asked Tsubone to tell Killua he and Alluka are free from the restrictions SHE put on them, and in a sad voice as well!, making me believe she regretted what she put those two through. That just screamed major change of heart to me and I was dying to work with it. Hope I did a reasonable job out of it. =.=
> 
> I'll try to update at least one more time this month (since I'm officially in summer vacations, I'll have more time to write) but if I don't manage to: Merry Christmas in advance! :D
> 
> Kisses,  
> RedVoid


	49. Short Circuit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> People, I owe you all a huge apology!  
> I posted this chapter on fanfiction.net a couple of weeks ago and, as usual, came here to post it as well. I completed all the steps (cross my heart) and clicked on 'Post' but I must've lost connection or something like that and it didn't show up.  
> ...And I only noticed it now. :(  
> I'm really sorry about that. I swore I had sy posted the chapter here. 
> 
> If it's any consolation, next chapter should come out soon. :)  
> And two readers were awesome enought to make fan arts for this fic: Aurelya-LB from deviantart and eimyahj16 from fanfiction. You can find one of Aurelya-LB's work as my cover in the fic posted in fanfiction. net (www.fanfiction.net/s/10289391/1/To-Find-What-is-Missing) and eimyahj60's can be found in my deviantart account (http://cy5000.deviantart.com/)
> 
> Also, suggestion for this chapter: before reading the chapter, google Iron Chair and Heretic's Fork (both torture instruments).

Bleach had never been the brightest bulb in the box, that she admitted; but she was not stupid either. Despite Kalluto's evasive answers regarding his family or his blatant avoidance of the subject, the thief was able to gather that the situation amongst the Zoldycks wasn't all rainbows and butterflies. Killua's "escape" with Alluka had forced a new perspective into the family, leaving the members to learn how to cope with it.

For all the things he went through in his ten years of life, Kalluto was still a child with only his family as reference to what he should do, and said family not only was going through an existential crisis on its own but had also lost its only almost-normal member: Killua. Taking all of that in consideration, Bleach couldn't help but feel a bit responsible for the boy; and her recently-developed mature side demanded that she spend time talking to him and just be there for him if he ever needed her to. And that was why she insisted on taking the boy out for ice cream whenever they finished their training, and why, when he blatantly fled from the small shop looking somewhat disturbed, she went after him.

She expected being scowled at by Kalluto for following him and meddling in matters that weren't of her business, but she didn't expect to find Illumi shoving a needle inside his head in order to pull information from him. Information that he was trying to hide from Illumi only because it involved _her_.

As much as she loathed the idea of voluntarily interacting with Illumi again, she couldn't leave Kalluto to deal with that bastard on his own. So, with a short moment of hesitation, Bleach jumped atop a tree branch and called out to the brothers, successfully getting Illumi to focus his attention on her and stop inserting his needle in the boy's skull.

It bothered Bleach to no end that her first thought when the man turned to face her was that he was still hot as hell.

_Can't a gas cylinder explode on his face already? Piece of shits like him don't deserve to look that good._

Despite her… _inconvenient_ attraction towards the bastard, Bleach thought she had dealt with the situation very well; in under one minute and without any exchange of blows or insults she had managed to get the needle out of Kalluto's head and him out of his brother's range. It was well deserving of a mental slap on the back.

Still, no matter how "successful" her actions had been, Bleach knew her meeting with Illumi so soon would have repercussions as to how she'd deal - _if_ she would deal - with the youngest Zoldyck from then on, and she wanted to know them as soon as possible. She had to prepare for whatever action Illumi might take regarding her relations with his family.

Because of that, she had told Kalluto to meet her on the following day, escaping their weekly routine. She couldn't give that manipulative son of a bitch a whole week of a head-start in this matter; if she was to deal with the Zoldycks, she had to keep herself always in stride with Illumi.

And that was why, when Kalluto showed up in the Main Square in the next day, apologizing in the name of his parents about Illumi's behaviour and assuring her that his brother had sworn in the family name that he wouldn't as much as text her without her approval the thief felt the most relieved in her life so far. She knew just how high his precious family ranked in Illumi's priorities and no doubt he'd take an oath like that seriously.

Still, she couldn't help but wonder why the manipulative assassin had agreed to such a thing. Somehow, the idea that he been merely pressed into doing so wasn't the most convincing to the thief. Something was up with Illumi; she could feel it.

And she was partially right.

* * *

Something was definitely "up" with the Zoldyck family: they were facing the need to change their ways and values as people and as members of a family, even if just slightly. And Illumi was the only one who hadn't been collaborating to said changes.

The man was the only one who maintained his objectives and values intact throughout the whole Alluka ordeal and, exactly because of that, the sudden changes that seemingly all of his family members - especially his mother - had undergone came as a shock to him. He simply couldn't fully understand what was going on with their minds and emotions at the moment - after all, he hadn't been there to witness the gradual changes with his own eyes, choosing to invest his time on recovering Killu and Alluka instead of staying with his family after those two disappeared from sight - and it all left him a bit lost.

Because of that - _momentary_ \- situation, the assassin had no choice but to bide his time until he could fully grasp the extension of the changes in his family and what new limitations they'd bring upon his freedom of action. Besides forbidding him from properly interacting with his brothers, that is.

_And Bleach. Can't forget that woman._

But forgetting her wasn't going to happen anytime soon, _especially_ since he was certain that harpy was somehow guilty for the changes taking place inside his Kallu. And Illumi would make sure to find a way to overrule his grandfather's prohibition of contacting the woman and punish her for it-

The assassin's ink black eyes stared unseeingly at the stone ceiling in front of him as the iron straps around his chest, thighs, arms and calves automatically tightened, pressing his flesh further onto the spikes of the Iron Chair his father had put him on. He'd be facing forwards, if not for the Heretic's Fork stripped on his neck, which made it impossible for him to lower his face without having the forks thrusting inside his flesh even more than they already were.

 _-_ and he would find it fast.

* * *

It was surprising how easily things returned to routine for Bleach.

Two weeks had passed since her unfortunate meeting with Illumi, but no repercussions whatsoever followed. Just as Kalluto had promised, his brother didn't as much as text her and she couldn't help but feel dread grow inside her at each passing second without the assassin trying to take advantage of her in some way. The thief knew that Illumi's extend period of latency couldn't amount to anything good.

This time, she was completely right.

* * *

"You can't be serious."

Bleach's words were spoken in a low and desolated whisper; nothing at all like the loud, angry and demanding yelling Zeno had expected. It made the senior assassin's expression turn quite apologetic.

"I'm afraid I am."

"Tsk… I knew something like this would happen." The thief snarled, standing up from the couch to pace around the rom. "I knew that bastard would find a way to torment me."

"This changes nothing of his restrictions. Illumi still isn't allowed to as much as touch you without permission."

"He doesn't have to touch me to turn my life into a living hell!" This time, Bleach couldn't keep the volume nor the anger fromraising in her voice. "He doesn't even have to speak! Just being in the same room as him makes me want to choke the bastard!"

Zeno regarded the woman in front of him silently. She was still pacing around the room, body tense as rock, face flushed with anger and brown eyes glaring at anything that entered her field of vision. He had never seen a person – let alone one as pragmatic and as the thief – so upset at the mere idea of sharing space with another person.

Granted, it would be a couple of days spending time with said person. But there were promises of a large payment and guarantee of safety; more than enough to make up for any sort of personal disagreements one might have. Or so Zeno had thought.

_Illumi… do I even want to know what you've done to her?_

"…You can always pay the contract's fine and walk away. You have more than enough money to do so."

Bleach's stressed movements halted at once at hearing those words. She had completely forgotten about that. Forgotten she wasn't working for the Mafia anymore; that she had a choice in the matter. She could leave this job – this mansion, this city… this _everything_ related to the Zoldycks – whenever she wanted; she had enough money to pay that fine 2 times if needed be.

Slowly, the woman turned her head so she could look at Zeno and proclaim how much of a genius he was and that she had just fallen in love with him.

However, the words stuck in her throat at seeing just how tired the old man seemed to be and it instantly made her feel guilty. _Illumi must've been giving him hell for having sort of taken me under his wing._

"If you do decide to terminate the contract and leave, I just ask you to be the one to explain the situation to Kalluto."

Bleach's breath hitched at the reminder of the young boy. If she broke her contract with Zeno, it would mean more than the loss of a simple billion of jenny on her part; it would mean giving up on her training sessions with Kalluto and leaving him alone with his family. She doubted the boy's family would allow him to continue meeting with a woman who had no deeper connections with them than helping their precious heir keep himself away from home.

_Well, it's not like I'd be able to continue living so near Illumi without any sort of guarantee he won't try and manipulate me to get to Killua again. If I break this contract, I lose Zeno's protection and will have to disappear from here before that bastards is able to blink. But…_

She really couldn't leave Kalluto without as much as an explanation and a goodbye.

"Do I have to decide it right now?" Bleach asked, dropping her body on the sofa in front of Zeno in a defeated manner.

"Yes." The assassin answered. "This particular Undeniable Mission can only be fulfilled in short periods throughout the year, when the target indirectly exposes himself. If we miss this window, it could be weeks before we have another chance to strike and by then our client might take this job to someone else."

"If I agree to the mission-"

"You and Illumi leave immediately. Our butlers have already selected adequate clothing and accessories for you to use in this mission, and there is a car ready to take you two to the train station. By the way, your train leaves in about forty minutes, so you have to decide quickly."

"…Remind me again why I need to help that jackass complete his job."

"Because only couples manage to come in direct contact with the target and Kikyo is already out on a mission and can't accompany him. Taking a butler would be much too risky, since they're trained to obey and respect us to extreme extensions, making it difficult for them to convincingly play the part of a partner. Also, this particular target is someone who no one in the underworld has ever managed to identify, let alone locate. His assassination will be a great boost for the family's name and that classifies this mission as an Undeniable one, which you're bound by contract to always accept." Zeno explained matter-of-factly.

"My Undeniable Missions should involve burglary." Bleach stated. "Not murder."

"You are not supposed to kill anyone." Zeno responded. "Actually, you are forbidden of doing so. Assassination is the family business, not yours."

"I could as well be the one killing them since I need to be part of it for their death to happen."

"I told you before, you don't _need_ to do anything. You can pay your fine and leave."

 _And never come back._ The words hadn't been said, but they echoed loudly in both of their minds. If Bleach broke her contract, she wouldn't be safe from Illumi nor would her presence be accepted in the Zoldyck household ever again.

"You really leave me no choice." The thief grumbled under her breath, raising defeated eyes to Zeno. "I'm not ready to terminate our oh-so prolific partnership yet-"

_-or leave Kalluto completely at the mercy of those assholes he has for older brothers._

"-so I'll accept this mission."

"Good. Illumi should be waiting for you in the car already. He'll properly debrief you during the ride to the airport." Zeno said in a satisfied tone, watching the woman stand up from the couch and stalk to the door with steps filled with dread. "Bleach-"

The thief stopped for a moment, giving Zeno a resigned look from over her shoulder.

"-I told you before. Illumi won't do anything to harass you."

The woman remained still for some moments, regarding the man with impassive eyes from over her shoulder before finally turning back to face him.

"Tell me… this mission's client, who gave them the Zoldycks' contact number?"

"This is of no importance right now." Zeno answered, fully understanding where she was going with that inquiry. And, while he did believe she was right in suspecting the whole thing had been planned by Illumi, this wasn't the time to bother herself with the idea.

"It was Illumi, wasn't it?"

Zeno sighed and, for a moment, he felt as defeated as Bleach. Without any words, he nodded his answer.

"Then he already has."

* * *

"As it stands, my target is more of an entity than an actual person. No one knows anything about them, besides the fact they are immensurably rich and extremely influential in the underworld. We only assume the target is male because his fixed lover is a woman."

Bleach listened to Illumi's casual voice but didn't dare to move her eyes from the car's window for fear of giving up on the mission before it even began. No matter that the assassin was keeping her distance from her - seating himself at other end of the car's backseat and not saying or doing anything to make her feel uncomfortable - just being in close quarter's to him made the woman feel apprehensive.

"The only occasion people ever come in close contact with the target is during art events, like exclusive painting expositions, museum galas, ballets and operas. During said events, the target's paramour – Eva Corsano, a worldwide famous art-dealer – chooses couples to join her and her lover for some days to, presumably, a sexual get-away. The chosen couples disappear for a couple of days and then return to their homes with no recollection whatsoever of what took place during those missing days. However, they always find expensive gifts waiting for them in their homes or even great deposits of money in their bank accounts, and their names suddenly standing in high rank in the underworld thanks to the actions of an unknown internet mobster who acts in the shadows and goes by the alias of _Minerva_."

"So, this target of yours is a rich Mafia-boss who likes to use upscale art events as swingers clubs?" Bleach asked slowly, not being able to keep the incredulity from showing in her face as she spared the assassin one quick glance. "And you're going to kill him because…?"

Illumi smirked internally at finally having the woman talk to him; slowly, he was sure, he'd be able to get her to talk and confide in him just as she once did. Externally, he just shrugged his shoulders, as if he couldn't care less about her interacting with him or not.

"I don't ask my clients for their reasons, Bleach."

"Of course not." The thief spat out, now fully facing the assassin so she could glare at him with all the – maybe justified, maybe not – anger she was feeling. "You just offer your services to complete the one mission that demands me to go and spend two whole days with you, sharing the same room and pretending to be your bimbo."

Illumi spared a look at the front seat, satisfied at finding that the butler driving the car was already elevating the black-tinted glass window to give some privacy to him and Bleach. Once the glass was fully up, the assassin moved from his seat in a blink of an eye, scooting closer to the woman until he could lay one of his arms on the back of the seat above her shoulders.

" _Lover_." He corrected, resisting the urge to entwine his hand in the woman's hair and sensually scratch the base of her skull. "Not bimbo."

Bleach pressed herself against the door, trying to put more distance between her and the assassin and ignore the meant-to-be-flattering words he spoke. "Don't you fucking touch me."

"I won't. Unless it's essential to the mission." Illumi promised in a husky voice, pushing himself even closer to the woman, until the only thing that separated them was a centimetre thin wall of warm air. "Or until you ask me to."

"That is never going to happen." Bleach hissed at him, fake brown eyes glaring into black ones with open anger and veiled desired.

"I disagree with you. It will happen. Maybe not today or tomorrow, but it will." Illumi purred, staring back into Bleach's eyes with his own burning gaze. "And it will feel _so good._ "

The woman's breath hitched as those sinfully spoken words made their way from her eardrums to her brain and then to her lower abdomen and groin. They aroused and teased her with torrid promises of pleasure that were supported by past experiences of toe-curling sensations that only the depraved man in front of her had ever been able to provide. She wanted more than his voice; she wanted his hands and lips on her skin, his chest and back at her disposal to explore, and his cock inside of her. But she also wanted him to be as far as way from her as possible so she would never see, hear, smell, touch and taste him again.

Unfortunately for Bleach, neither of her desires were an option at the moment.

"Get the fuck away from me right now." Bleach demanded, looking up at the car's ceiling so she wouldn't face those intense eyes staring at her. "This is called harassment and you're forbidden of doing it to me."

A mix of amusement and annoyance swelled up inside Illumi but he made no motion to show it. Instead, much to the woman's relief and frustration, he acquired a positively apologetic expression and quickly complied with her wishes, sliding back to the other side of the seat.

"I'm sorry." The assassin spoke in a voice that would've managed to convince anyone who didn't know him of his remorse. "I didn't wish to make you uncomfortable."

Bleach resumed to directly glare at the man. "Oh? What did you wish to make me then?"

"Wet. And hot." Illumi answered, forgetting all pretence of remorse and staring back at her as if she was his next meal. "And all for me."

Bleach's eyes all but doubled their size at Illumi's answer as blood rushed to her neck and face – and _other_ parts or her body – at an alarming speed. She had believed she'd be prepared to deal with the assassin's advances but, apparently, she was wrong. He was being more straightforward than usual, succeeding in arousing her with his voice only… and the mission hadn't even begun. Bleach feared that, despite his restrictions about touching her, Illumi would still manage to push her over the edge.

"Tsk. Don't flatter yourself." Bleach dismissed with a forced scowl on her face. Then she lied: "Your words just had me remembering of someone I met a couple of months ago. He said the exact same thing during dinner." Then she smirked. "The difference was that he took me to bed, something that is completely out of the question for you."

"I agree completely; I won't be able to take you to bed this time around." Illumi admitted before allowing an arrogant smile to stretch on his lips. "You will take me instead."

"And why the hell would I do that?" Bleach demanded, lips immediately transforming her previous smirk back into a scowl.

Illumi's answer was the widening of his smile accompanied by a slow and sensual stretch of his body that made the woman unconsciously lick her lips as her eyes ran all over his form hungrily. Once their gazes met again, Illumi's held a triumphant glint that showed Bleach she had just answered her own question.

Hunger was soon replaced by annoyance in the thief's orbs and she automatically turned her face away to glare out the window.

_Get a grip, Bleach. No matter how hot he is, you're not fucking Illumi in this trip. It's just two days and a half – only two if you discount the traveling time – you can do it. And once it's all over, you can return to never seeing the bastard again._

At least, that was what she hopped for. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Illumi seems to have find a way to bypass Zeno and Silva's restrictions regarding Bleach for the moment. A way that puts him in the perfect role to try his hand at seducing her (again). This mission's arc should be quite long (about 5 chapters) so we're in for lots of drama involving those two. Poor Bleach... XP
> 
> Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter and that I didn't make anyone OOC. :D
> 
> And I wish you a Happy New Year! I hope that 2016 will be a wonderful year for all of you! ;D
> 
> Kisses,  
> RedVoid
> 
> PS: on a matter completely unrelated with the fic, I've just finished this game called Undertale and it is simply amazing! Beautiful and complex story and very unique characters! And the gameplay... I've never played anything quite like this game before. It's really involving! *.*


	50. Undeniable Mission: Masquerade

"This wig itches like fuck!" Bleach hissed as she stomped into the hotel room, throwing her bag in a corner of the room and wasting no time in throwing the accessory bringing her so much annoyance on the floor. Then, she proceeded to do the same with her glue-in fake eyebrows. "And what kind of fucking name is Roxanne?"

Illumi had to hold back the urge to smirk at the woman's outrage. Keeping his bored expression in place, he laid his own luggage atop the foot of the bed and went to calmly pick up the red wig and matching eyebrows from the floor. As he did so, the face and body he had been using for the past two hours started to change; short brown hair grew out and darkened to black, a squared jaw thinned, making for a more delicate but just as handsome face and bones elongated, returning to the assassin's height a couple of inches.

"You didn't expect us to use our real names did you?"

"No!" The woman snapped, turning around to fix an ugly glare on Illumi's face. Her brown eye contacts had been replaced by bright blue ones. "But _Roxanne_! It's just so whorish."

"Not whorish. Sexy."

"Sexy, whorish; what-fucking-ever! I don't like it!"

"Why?" Illumi asked as he sat the items on top of the room's wide desk and he stared back at the woman, facial muscles unmoving but eyes glinting with mocking amusement.

"Why?! Because I don't want to be anything even close to either of those when close to you! Especially when we're supposed to be sharing the same fucking room!" Bleach yelled out in frustration, throwing her arms up in the air and giving her back to the assassin to glare out of the window. "You're using a boring name, _Erik_. Why not give me one as well?"

For long moments, Illumi didn't respond. Calmly, the man took in his surroundings. Their suite was astoundingly luxurious… and libidinous. An enormous and circular bed with silken bedding stood close to a wall; it had scarlet covers and white rose petals covering said covers. A couple of leather armchairs sat close at the right of the bed, in front of a wide window. In front of the bed, glued to the wall was a desk and chair, with a mini-fridge at the side of the later that fitted perfectly beneath the wooden surface of the first. Another table was on the free side of bed, over which sat two champagne glasses and a bucket of ice the carried a complimentary chilled bottle of the drink in question.

_That shouldn't be here._

Illumi took hasty steps to the small table and grabbed the bottle before taking it to the room's entrance and literally throwing it out of the door, all too quickly for an angered Bleach to even realize he had done it.

"Also, why are we staying in such a romantic room?" The thief continued to whine. "We could've chosen another one, with _two_ beds."

"Because we're rich and soon-to-be-wed lovers who are very much passionate about each other and would not spare any expenses to enjoy the most intimate romantic get-away possible, _Roxanne_." Illumi purred, taking purposeful steps towards the woman and laying his hands on the glass by each side of her head, trapping her body between his and the window but not touching her. "And this hotel is one block away from the museum, where the gala during which we must gain Eva Corsano's attention will take place."

"About that-" The thief began in an all-business voice, acting completely unaffected by the man's proximity. "-How the fuck are we going to get that woman's attention? I don't even know what she's looking for in her fuck-buddies."

"No one really does." Illumi admitted, voice losing its seductive timbre so he could deal with business with the seriousness it demanded. "But we can guess about it. I gave you pictures of the previous couples she has selected so far, didn't I?"

"Yes, but they don't follow a type. Straight and gay; tall and short; blonde, brunette and redhead; skinny, muscular and chubby… There's all of that amongst those damn photos. No fucking way to _guess_."

"Appearance is the least important." The assassin pointed out. "Body-language is what matters in those images. And the body-language of all of those coupled just screamed _I want have sex with my partner, right now._ "

Bleach scowled as she thought about the photos and considered Illumi's words, not minding when the hands of the man behind her left the glass in order to gently settle on her waist as a sort of perverted example. The weight of them felt too familiar and she was much too concentrated to complain at the moment.

_The shithead has a point. All of the couples seemed ready to fuck each other's brain out._

"So I think it's safe to assume that _passion_ is the key point of gaining Eva Corsano's attention. And that's the reason I needed you to come with me; you're my trump card."

The woman audibly growled, making it hard for Illumi not to chuckle at her.

"Let's be frank here, lovely-" He spoke softly in Bleach's ear as his thumbs started to draw lazy circles over the fabric of her shirt. "-passion is something you do not lack in the slightest. Especially when it comes to me."

"I hate you." The woman spat, pushing Illumi's hands away from her and turning around to glare at him with all the disgust she felt.

"Yes, you do." The assassin agreed, smirking widely as he took in the woman's irate expression. "But you do so _passionately_. Whenever you look at me, your eyes burn such a blazing fire only a child could ever hope to ignore. You want to kill me and fuck me at the same time, and if that's not passion then I don't know what is."

Bleach's glare hardened even more, if not for Illumi's insistence on remaining too close to comfort, for him being right on the matter. She was astoundingly passionate when it came to him - had always been, even before their first tryst in the Castere palace.

And she hated it.

Bleach honestly wished she didn't hate Illumi nearly as much as she did; it was much too stressful and frustrating to her. She much preferred to feel nothing more than indifference towards the assassin; not only it would do wonders for her mental health, but it would also frustrate him to no end.

The thief wasn't an idiot; she could _feel_ clearly how much Illumi thrived on her intense emotions towards him, no matter how negative they were. The bastard loved how easily he could get under her skin, be it to annoy or arouse her. And it made Bleach even angrier that she simply _couldn't_ deny him the satisfaction of seeing her all worked up because of him.

But she could try and minimize it.

"…Fine; you have a point. But, if we're really going to do this shit, there are some ground rules I want to establish. Rule number 1: whenever we're alone in this room, there'll be no touching whatsoever." The woman began in, what she hoped, was a calm and cold voice. "If you lay your hands on me again, I'll consider it as harassment and you can kiss this job good-fucking-bye-"

For the split of a second, Bleach thought she saw the muscles of the assassin's jaw tense.

"-Rule number 2: when acting in front of other people, you'll always tell me what you intend to do before any sort of extensive touching. Hands on waist, shoulders and hands are alright, but if you need to get more _passionate_ about the touching, you'll have to get my permission first, got it?"

"Unders-"

Before Illumi could finish speaking the single word, Bleach cut him off with a harsh movement of her right hand. "I'm not fucking done. This whole permission thing takes us to rule number 3: no kissing on the mouth, ever. I don't care the circumstances."

For a moment, it looked like the assassin would protest. However, whatever words he had against her rules were quickly replaced by a nod of acceptance and a perfectly false pleasant smile.

"See how smooth things can be between the two of us? Even you and I are capable of reaching agreements." Illumi spoke good-naturedly and turned around to walk to his travel bag. "We should do this more often."

"Or not at all." Bleach grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest as she watched the man retrieve a perfectly folded suit from the bag. "Isn't it a little too early to get ready? The thing isn't going to happen for another six hours."

"I need to have this ironed." The assassin explained as he walked towards her and offered the clothing. "Go down to the reception and tell them to do so."

The woman couldn't help but gap at him. "Why the fuc-"

"Without using my needles, I can keep my disguise for about five hours at a time, six at best, so I must rest myself for as long as possible before we leave for the event." Illumi answered the unspoken question conversationally.

Bleach glared pitchforks at the man before roughly taking the suit from his hands.

"While you're at it, go to a beauty salon and get your make-up and nails done. This is a rather upscale event and I'm sure you don't have nearly enough practice to get presentable to it on your own."

Bleach's steps halted for a second as she felt her whole body tense and her breath hitch in anger, ready to verbally – and physically – respond to Illumi's jab at her poor origins, but managed to control herself and continue walking to the door in silence. His idea of hitting a salon was actually a very good one; at least it would keep her away from him for a couple more hours.

Just when she was ready to open the door and leave the room and its very obnoxious occupant behind, her red wig was thrown at her head with the fake eyebrows glued to some of its strands. The Hunter managed to catch it before it came into contact with her skull – not that the thing would do any sort of damage to her – and automatically turned around to glare at the assassin.

He was staring back at her with such a sweet smile on his face that it made Bleach want to peel his lips off with her own bare hands.

"I'll be counting the seconds, _Roxanne._ "

* * *

Bleach returned to the hotel room at 18:00 sharp; exactly two hours before the charity event began. In one of her hands she held Illumi's ironed suit, in the other a bag carrying a cheap mannequin head and some hair products so she could improvise some sort of hairstyle with her wig. After all, it did her no good to go all made up if her hair wasn't up-to-pair with the rest of her and, despite what Illumi had said, the thief had plenty of experience getting ready for upscale events thanks to her time working for the Mafia.

She could've just gone to a hair dresser and saved herself the trouble, but, just in case something got out about _Roxanne_ and _Erik_ being involved in some bigshot's murder, she wouldn't have the whole thing following her back to Padokea because a stupid hair dresser couldn't keep their mouth shut about a white-haired woman showing up to have a red wig styled.

When she entered the room, Illumi was nowhere to be seen, but the bathroom door was closed and she could hear the sound of water running, so it was safe to assume he was taking a shower.

The thief spared the Universe a silent thanks for extending her Illumi-free time as she hanged his suit inside the closet and sat down at the wide desk to work on "her" hair, forcing herself to ignore the sound of running water that practically forced her to imagine a naked Illumi slowly roaming soap-covered hands all over his own body.

Needless to say, she couldn't have been more thankful when that particular sound suddenly ceased, finally allowing her the concentration she oh-so needed.

Concentration that was killed moments later by a warm voice whispering in her ear.

"Not bad. Maybe I underestimated your abilities."

Bleach's shoulders tensed as she watched a bare arm reach over her shoulders to touch some of the wig's red strands of hair. The accessory now sported a half-up half-down style, which was on its way to being complemented by artificially made curls in the loose half of the hair.

Then, her whole body tensed when the other hand appeared by her other side to lay an used towel on the desk by the mannequin head, telling her loud and clear that the sexy man behind her was completely naked.

"Your suit is in the closet." Bleach informed, using all of her self-control not to steal a peek at the man's figure.

"I'll wait a little more before putting it on. I don't want to wrinkle it." Illumi stated feeling smug accomplishment at how the woman unconsciously licked her lips. "We have almost two hours before leaving… Maybe we should figure out a pleasant way to pass the time?"

"As you can obviously see, I've already figured it out how to pass my time, shithead." Bleach snarled, roughly involving a tuft of hair around the curler in her hands. She really wanted him to get away from her. "Now back off so I can finish this in peace."

For a moment, Illumi felt like scowling at the woman's insistence in fighting back the attraction between them, even though he had been expecting nothing less from her since the beginning. Stubbornness had always been one of her areas of excellence, after all.

The assassin let out a warm sigh escape his lips and grace the woman's ears, revelling in the way her body almost imperceptibly shuddered when the air hit her skin.

"As you wish."

Without further ado, Illumi retreated from Bleach and took graceful strides towards his luggage to retrieve a folder filled with blueprints and personnel information from the museum he was soon going to visit.

Blech watched every movement of the assassin's naked body from the corner of her eye, not knowing if she was more aroused by the man's physique or annoyed at how comfortably – and _well_ – he was showing it off to her.

She chose the later when he walked to the bed and laid down on it without as much as slipping a pair of boxers on.

"What the fuck man!" Bleach called out angrily, slamming the hair curler on the desk as she pushed herself to her feet. "I'm going to sleep there!"

"So am I." Illumi responded in a bored voice as he opened the folder and his eyes started to wander over one of its files. "Your point?"

"My point is: put some fucking clothes on! I don't want to lay my head on a place your naked ass touched!"

Illumi felt the corner of his lips threaten to twitch in amusement as possible responses to Bleach's words filled his mind. But, acting as the gentleman he was supposed to be in this mission, he held back said responses and turned so he could fix the most bored look he could manage on the woman's face.

"Stop behaving like an annoying brat and complaining about everything I do. I promise not go anywhere near your side of the bed while naked." He said seriously, before smiling wickedly. "Unless you ask me to, of course."

Bleach's glare grew even hotter and her lips curled in a disgusted scowl as she thought about how to respond to those words. Unfortunately, embarrassingly long moments passed and nothing came to mind, prompting Bleach to spat a half-hearted "fuck you" in the assassin's direction and turn her back to him with a huff si she could silently resume her work on the wig.

She had blatantly lost that round but, at the very least, the exchange had fed her anger enough that she didn't feel the slightest spark of attraction towards the naked man lying on her bed.

For now, at least.

* * *

At 20:00 sharp, Erik and Roxanne were leaving their hotel room dressed lavishly in a black suit and a dark blue party dress respectively. Both held a confident air about themselves and in their strides that all but demanded attention from people around.

And, if that wasn't enough to catch Eva Corsano's eye, the sensual whispers and caresses they were so frequently exchanging certainly would. According to plan, of course.

However, very few things in life go according to plan and, while both had indeed managed to receive Eva Corsano's attentions, it hadn't happened at all as they had thought it would.

* * *

It was past ten already and Eva Corsano had yet to approach either of them. Surely, throughout the last couple of hours the woman had spared Erik and Roxanne many curious, and sometimes blatantly lustful, glances, but that was pretty much it. And _it_ counted for very little, seeing as the woman granted many of the couples present the same hungry stares.

It came to the point that, out of sheer frustration with the whole situation – those impossibly high heels hurting her feet, her wig itching like crazy, Illumi's touching being pointless, her starting to _want_ Illumi to touch her even more – Bleach demanded the assassin to go get something to drink and give her some time alone. It wasn't the best strategy for their mission and the assassin showed his displeasure by a painful pressing of the back of her neck disguised as a caress before complying with her wishes. But Bleach figured that if Roxanne exploded on Erik for no apparent reason it would've been even worse to the mission, so he couldn't really complain about her decision.

Feeling herself a little more at ease after Illumi had left her side, Bleach started to wander around the museum, slowly taking in the artwork all around her with uninterested fake blue eyes.

Until they weren't so uninterested anymore.

As if struck by lightning, Bleach halted her movements completely when her gaze settled on a particular painting and she couldn't help but take purposeful steps towards the artwork so she could take a better look at it.

While the thief had a very nice instinct to spot valuable items, including artwork, from afar – and those instincts were telling her that this particular work was _very_ valuable –she held no proper knowledge – or interest for that matter – about art in any form; she could differentiate a painting from a statue and that was about it. However, that particular piece called to her in a very personal level and she simply didn't find it in her to ignore it.

Beneath the canvas, Bleach found the piece's name as well as the name of its artist and couldn't help but commit them to memory.

**The Kiss (Lovers) – 1909**

**Gustav Klimt – 1862-1918**

The woman was so lost in the painting, she barely noticed the clicking sound of heels on the marble floor coming in her direction until they had stopped by her side, closer than what most people would deem appropriate for a first contact.

"It is rather beautiful, isn't it?"

The feminine voice was low in volume, but rich in tone and fluidity, making its way easily into Bleach's eardrums and brain. Slowly, the thief turned her head to the side and had to use every bit of self-control she had as to not act surprised at who exactly was talking to her.

There, smiling sensually with blood-red lips and staring intently with smouldering brown eyes was none other than Eva Corsano. Dressed in her satin emerald green dress and with her thick brown hair draped over one shoulder the woman was even more beautiful than in the photographs Illumi had provided and for a moment Bleach couldn't help but feel self-conscious about her own appearance. No amount of make-up could ever make her _that_ beautiful.

"What's wrong, lovely?" Eva purred, brushing a strand of red hair behind Bleach's ear. "Cat caught your tongue?"

Bleach's eyes visibly widened at that; not as much because of the tender gesture as much because of the term of endearment the other woman had just called her. No one but Illumi had ever called her that, and it unsettled the woman terribly.

But she really wasn't about to admit to that so she quickly recomposed herself and put a small smile on her lips.

"I'm sorry. You caught me a bit… lost in myself." Bleach half-confessed half-lied as she returned her gaze to the painting, almost immediately losing herself in it. "It's a remarkable piece indeed. The first one who has ever caught my attention so thoroughly. But…"

"But?"

"Well, I know very little about art, but I don't think I could ever call it beautiful…"

If Bleach had been paying attention to Eva's face at that moment, she would've seen the woman frown in disapproval and then open her mouth, ready to protest.

But, alas, she wasn't paying attention and resumed talking before the art-dealer had a chance to do so.

"It unsettles me too much."

* * *

Immediately, Eva snapped her mouth shut, regarding the woman standing by her side with new and even more curious eyes. Never in her whole life had the art-dealer found someone who felt unsettled by Klimt's The Kiss.

Before Eva had the chance to question the redhead further, the woman's partner approached them, casually handing his lover a champagne glass filled with orange juice as he offered the art-dealer an apologetic smile.

"I hope I'm not interrupting any sort of secret womanly conversation." He spoke in a teasing voice that made both women smile in amusement, one truthfully, the other perfectly falsely. "But I do recall someone telling me how thirsty she was and didn't want to delay any longer."

Smirking teasingly, the redhead took a sip of her drink as her free hand moved around the man's waist and discreetly slipped underneath his tux so it could better caress the skin of his hip. In response, one of the man's hands rose to the woman's shoulder to gently rub the skin there. The gentle and yet sensual exchange did not go unnoticed by Eva and she made no attempt at trying to keep herself from staring.

"It is quite alright. We had just started a discussion about art." Eva spoke in a honeyed tone, smiling to both of them. "Your beautiful partner here was just telling me her take on the masterpiece that is The Kiss."

The redhead bit her lower lip for a moment and dropped her head slightly on the man's shoulder in a truly adorable gesture of embarrassment.

"And what would that be?" The man spoke with true curiosity, fixing intense black eyes on his partner's face.

"…It's unsettling." The redhead answered after some moments, smile completely gone as intense blue eyes stared at the image in front of her. "The man… it looks like he is forcing his kiss upon the woman. The way he seems to be holding her face in place as she tries to turn it the other way… how her fingers are curled above his neck in something like disgust… It all gives me a bad feeling."

Eva's smile dropped and her eyes widened at hearing the words.

It was true that some art-specialists claimed that Klimt's The Kiss represented a man overpowering a woman, forcing his affections upon her. However, they were very few and the most disseminated interpretation of the paining was that of a joyful expression of love between a man and a woman.

_What could ever bring a woman – a lay one above wall – to see this in The Kiss?_

Eva observed how the woman closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, forcing herself to relax somewhat before raising her gaze to her partner. The man was staring at her face with eyes so intense it made Eva's own heart skip a beat.

"But what do I know about art, right?" She asked, planting a languid kiss on her partner's neck before turning back to face the art-dealer with a polite smile and an outstretched hand. "Changing the subject, I didn't introduce myself. I'm Roxanne Dehaan. This is my fiancée, Erik Darst."

Smiling charmingly, Eva took Roxanne's hand and shook it gently, holding it a bit longer than usual.

"I'm Eva Corsano. It is an immense pleasure to meet you both."

_At least, I hope it will be._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Any thoughts on this new character that has temporarily joined the party?
> 
> Oh, and please, tell me if I made Illumi OOC in any form. One would think I'd be more confident in my skills of portraying that man by now... -.-
> 
> We had quite a bit of interaction between Illumi and Bleach here, but next chapter will bring an overdose of those two "bounding" with each other. ;)
> 
> Kisses,  
> RedVoid


	51. Undeniable Mission: Penetrating Enemy Defences

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I know it has been a long time since I last updated this and I'm really sorry. Lately I've been very busy with college and hadn't had the time to write as much as I'd like. :(

" _You're both here to relax and enjoy a romantic getaway, huh? Well, there is a Spa in town that will be perfect for you two! They have massages and ofuro baths for couples, among other things. I always go there when I come to town and I can assure you, their service is impeccable. If you wish, I can call there tomorrow morning and tell them to expect you."_

_"Erik and I would love that Thank you very much, Eva."_

* * *

"I never thought I'd say that to _you_ from all people-" Illumi began as he closed the hotel room's door. "-but good job."

Bleach sighed and rolled her eyes as she clumsily removed the high heels from her feet, throwing them at a corner of the room before marching towards her luggage.

"That Eva woman is creepy as fuck." The thief commented as she pulled out some sleeping clothes from her bag, not paying the slightest mind to the man metamorphosing back to his original self behind her. It was an unsettling sight, to say the least. "She kept staring at us as if she was going to jump our bones at any moment."

"I really can't blame her. You look particularly desirable this evening."

Bleach responded to the flitartious words with a tired, withering look before marching into the bathroom, where she immediately started to remove the wig and fake eyebrows from her head, before moving on to her make-up and blue contact lenses. She was so anxious to get all the stuff off her skin that she didn't even bother to close the bathroom's door behind her.

For a moment, Illumi considered teasing the woman further, but before any words could leave his mouth, he found himself in an appreciative silence when his gaze fell on her moving figure inside the bathroom. Without words, the man sat on the bed and started to loosen his tie absentmindedly as his eyes followed Bleach's every movement; from the wig's removal to the brushing of her teeth, from the methodical way she removed the make-up from her face, to how her jaw dropped slightly when taking off the contacts.

There was something strangely fascinating about watching the woman remove the layers of "Roxanne" from herself and slowly return to being just Bleach. The scene was one of the most mundane Illumi had ever watched and, exactly because of that, he couldn't help but feel that he was being included in something quite private for the woman – even if she didn't realize it herself. It pleased him to think that, from all of her previous partners – willing or not – he was the only one allowed to see her performing such everyday tasks. It could be proof that, from all of the men she had been with, he still was the one who most affected her life, the one who'd be responsible for making her lose sleep from nights to come still-

" _The man… it looks like he is forcing his kiss upon the woman. The way he seems to be holding her face in place as she tries to turn it the other way… how her fingers are curled above his neck in something like disgust… It all gives me a bad feeling."_

" _I hate you, just like I hate Cressar."_

-or maybe not.

For a second, Illumi felt his lips threaten to curl in disgust. It seemed someone else still kept him from being Bleach's most important tormentor. Cressar's shadow still accompanied the thief wherever she went; in a twisted way, he had been her first relationship. He was her first rapist. And then, her first victim.

_Cressar… I wish you were alive so I could kill you myself._

With a sigh, Illumi pushed those thoughts from his mind and resumed to observe Bleach through the open door. The woman had just finished taking off all of her make-up and acessories and was now reaching behind herself from above her shoulderblades so she could start undoing the zipper of her dress - which went all the way from the base of her neck to the base of her spine. Once the zipper was about one third undone, she lowered her arms and reached behind herself again from a different angle so she could finish pulling it open, swiftly exposing the her naked back to him.

Illumi was quite surprised at how quickly the woman had undone the long zipper without any help whatsoever. He wondered how many times she had to dress and undress herself in that particular kind of dress without assistance throughout her life.

 _These full back dresses must be the only kind she ever wears._ The assassin thought as his eyes scanned the many scars that covered the woman's back. _I wonder how it feels for her to show her body to men._

Bleach was about to slide her dress down her shoulders and let it fall to the ground when her eyes met Illumi's through the bathroom mirror.

The thief's first instinct was to lash out at the man for perving on her, however, after taking a good look at his gaze she felt the loud words quickly die in her throat without as much as trying to leave her mouth. There was no lewdness in the assassin's stare whatsoever. Truth be told, he looked almost pensive as he regarded her with intense black eyes.

Without a word, Bleach turned around so she was directly facing the man on the bed and just stared back at him, trying to figure out just what it was that his gaze meant. Long moments passed in complete silence before the woman let out a tired sigh and, hugging the fabric of the dress to her chest, walked to the bathroom door and closed it.

Perverted or not, Blech didn't want to bathe with Illumi's bottomless eyes staring at her.

* * *

When the thief emerged from the bathroom dressed in a purple tank top and a pair of flannel pants, the bedroom was already dark and Illumi was laying beneath the covers on his side of the bed, facing the ceiling with closed eyes.

Silent as a shadow, Bleach walked to her own - still perfectly organized - side of the bed and used those many extra pillows and cushions hotels loved to put on their beds to construct a barrier that divided the rounded mattress in two, separating her from Illumi. Once she was satisfied with her work, Bleach laid down on her side of the bed, with her back turned to the pillows barricade, and closed her eyes.

"You do know I have no intention of taking advantage of you when you're sleeping, right?"

The thief's eyes immediately opened again but she didn't as much as flinch at the amused voice coming from the other side of the bed.

"I don't want to risk moving in my sleep and touching you." Bleach admitted in a low voice, too tired with everything that took place in the last couple of days to engage in an argument with the assassin. "Again."

"Fair enough." Illumi conceded, briefly sparing a thought to the clause in Bleach's contract that forbade her from harming him. He'd have to count on that and on Bleach's natural aversion to killing to keep him safe while he slept, seeing as he couldn't remain awake through the night in order not to be caught unguarded by the thief as he had done in their trip to the palace. He needed to be well-rested if he wished to keep his mask of Erik properly and during a lengthy period of time.

"…We're going to that Spa tomorrow morning, aren't we? The one Eva invited us to." Bleach asked after some moments, rolling so she could face the ceiling.

"Of course." The assassin answered, turning around so he could look over the wall of pillows and stare at the thief. As he did so, the covers slid down his body somewhat, showing he wasn't wearing a shirt. "If my assumptions are correct, she'll be observing us there to confirm if we truly are what she's looking for. Then, she'll most likely invite us to accompany her to dinner and, during it, "propose" to us. Of course, we'll accept her "proposal" and go with her to the place where the orgy she has planned would take place. Then, I'll kill the target and we'll leave this city to return to Padokea."

Bleach scoffed. "It's almost a soap opera."

The assassin grunted noncommittally and was about to turn his back to the woman when she dropped her head to the side, fixing those clear rainbow eyes of hers on him. Somehow, they managed to reflect all of the little moonlight that managed to enter the room through the gaps of the window's curtains, seemingly shinning at him through the shadows in the room.

"…You really have no idea why you're going to kill this target?" She finally asked in a low voice.

The assassin felt like sighing in exasperation, but at seeing how serious and important this matter was to Bleach, held the urge back in order to give her an honest reply. Answering that question wouldn't bring any sort of negative repercussions to him, but it _could_ mean very positive advances in his plan on regaining the woman's affinity.

"I don't ask my clients for their reasons, but they do like to tell them anyway. And this time was no different." Illumi began, settling his pitch-black gaze onto the woman's bright eyes. "It seems my client's daughter and her husband went away with Eva Corsano to join her and her lover in their little swingers' party. However, instead of returning home rich as it previously happened with Eva's previous "targets", they ended up dead."

Even in the dark room, Illumi could see Bleach's eyes widen at his answer and decided he could milk this opportunity a little more. He had her whole attention at the moment - not to mention that she seemed tired enough as to not keep her emotional defences against him as strong as she usually did. This was one of the few moments Bleach was open to have a serious and heartfelt conversation with him and he would not waste this chance to give her something to think about.

"I know you don't understand how it's possible for me to kill people for money and I don't expect you to. You didn't live the life I did." The assassin continued. "But I think you should know that it's extremely rare for professionals like me to be hired to kill innocent people. It takes seriously wrongful acts for someone for wish another's death, let alone pay millions for it."

The woman's eyes widened even more but other than that she didn't respond to his words. She didn't know how, Illumi noted in satisfaction.

"Let's go to sleep." He proposed in a soft voice. "Tomorrow is our D Day. We must be ready to perform impeccably for Corsano."

"Right…" The woman agreed in a low whisper, rolling to her side so she could give her back to the assassin once again.

And, because of that, she missed the victorious smile on his lips.

"Good night, Bleach."

Of course, the thief didn't respond, but that didn't lessen Illumi's smile in the slightest.

He was finally making progress with her again.

* * *

"Miss Dehan and Mister Darst. If you'll please follow me, I'll lead to your private ofuro."

The attendant's voice was calm and warm, perfectly welcoming and reassuring, just like the outside and inside of the Spa. The place was large and luxurious and its decoration and structure followed perfectly an oriental style, something that, in Bleach's opinion at least, made the whole place seem almost dream-like. She had never seen anything like it before and couldn't help but stare as she walked into the reception, barefooted as was the norm inside the place.

Wide eyes taking in her surroundings didn't notice the attendant approach and speak with them, let alone movement coming from the direction of her amused companion. Only when he gently seized one of her hands in his and pulled her to him so they were face to face did the woman remember she wasn't alone in the room.

"Let's go, lovely." Illumi purred through Erik's mouth. "I can't wait to get alone with you inside that tub."

Roxanne blushed prettily at her partner's words, but still managed to push a teasing and confident smirk on her lips as she took a step forwards, pushing the front of her body against the front of Erik's. Then, Bleach chuckled low in her throat at seeing the spark of desire come to life in Illumi's black orbs.

"I can _feel_ that." She lied.

Illumi was too in control of his own body to become aroused by such small actions – unless he wanted to; then he was capable of getting hard with thoughts alone. However, they were supposed to play the passionate couple and hinting at a more physical proof of the man's desire for her was as close to mouth-watering as she could get in front of an audience, and she was shameless enough to do so, even if there wasn't actua-

Bleach suddenly held her breath at feeling Illumi's arm encircle her waist and press her even harder to his body, allowing her to fell perfectly when a particular part of his anatomy hardened slightly in response to the situation.

"Let me grab your ass when we start to follow that woman to our bathroom. The cameras in this place are following our every movement, no doubts under Corsano's control, so we might as well give her a show." Illumi whispered in her ear, voice almost unfeelingly business-like. It was clear that touching her like that at the moment was more because of the mission than him actually wanting to, something that almost made Bleach disappointed.

 _Almost!_ Bleach told herself as she nodded discreetly, rubbing her cheek on Erik's. Then, both took a step back from one another and turned to the attendant, who had been patiently waiting for the couple's PDA to end with her back turned to them.

"We're sorry." Roxanne called sheepishly, getting the woman to turn back to face them. "Sometimes we forget ourselves."

"It is no problem, Miss Dehan." The attendant reassured with a smile. "I'm ready to go whenever you are."

Erik smiled as he laid his right hand on Roxanne's right hip, pulling the woman flush to his side. All on her own volition, she did the same with the man.

"We're ready."

With one last smile to the couple, the attendant turned around and started to lead them further into the Spa.

As Bleach and Illumi walked, both of their hands slowly slid down to the other's backside.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, Bleach understood she was playing the most dangerous game, with an even more dangerous person - someone she had promised herself never to play with again. It would be best for her to stop. Right now.

Instead, she gave the tempting flesh in her hand a firm squeeze, smirking up at Illumi when he lowered satisfied eyes to her playful ones. The man returned her smirk with one of his own and squeezed her ass as well.

Bleach felt nothing but excitement.

* * *

The ofuro room was rather small, but Bleach found this a strangely appealing trait that made it all feel very cosy and private. The room's floor and ceiling were wooden, and so were the walls, with the exception of one that was a full-size window that showed a small and beautiful oriental garden that, judging from the stone fence surrounding it, had been constructed only for the purpose of improving the bathing room's aesthetic.

In the middle of the room, there was a wooden ofuro tub for two with a wooden steps tool by its side. By the door, in one of the room's corners, there was a shoji screen and two small benches with a fluff towel and a bathing suit each, as well as a couple of hooks in the wall that held two bath robes.

"We only ask you to wear the bathing suits at all times when inside the tub." The attendant spoke softly, motioning calmly to the clothes close to the shoji screen. "If you need anything, please don't hesitate to call me. All you need to do is knock on the door and I'll come right away. Now, I'll excuse myself and leave you to enjoy your bath. I hope everything is to your liking."

Without wasting another second, the woman gave the couple a short bow and walked out, slidding the ofuro room's door closed.

Curious, Bleach immediately walked to the ofuro and gazed into it. It was filled almost to the brim with hot water that emanated a sweet-smelling steam; covering the whole surface of the liquid were red rose petals.

"Why don't you go already and change yourself, lovely?" Erik proposed as he pulled out his cell phone from his pants' pocket. "Give me a moment to check if Ino sent us a message."

That meant Illumi was checking his phone to see if this room was bugged as well. Apparently, his brother Milluki had developed an app – named INO after a female ninja character in an anime he watched; one of the fat assassin's many virtual crushes – for his family that scanned the whole area on a 7-metres radius and identified all sorts of electronic devices. As soon as it was done, the app sent the same phone an encoded message to describe the situation. This time, the message read:

_Hey! I managed to get you those seats. Best view in the house! And the sound will be pretty awesome too! Unless they whisper on stage, of course. XDXD_

In other words: there were no blind spots in this room and Eva Corsano had audio on them as well, unless they were to whisper to each other.

 _Good. We can communicate just fine._ Illumi thought as he put away his phone and started to remover his shirt. _Two lovers alone in a tub and whispering to each other? She'd have to be crazy paranoid to be suspicious of that._

Just as he was about to undo the front his pants, Roxanne – or was it Bleach? he wasn't sure anymore – approached him from behind, encircling her arms around his waist so she could lay her hands atop of his.

"Let me help you out with this." The woman purred, blowing a teasingly warm breath on his spine.

Illumi quickly removed his hands, allowing Bleach's deft fingers to push the button through its hole before pulling the zipper down, slowly and teasingly, pressing just enough so he could feel her thumb caressing him through the thin fabric of his underwear.

"You shouldn't tease like that." Erik warned, even though he was smirking in satisfaction. "The lady said we have to wear our bathing suits inside the tub."

"Hmmm… There's plenty we can do with our bathing suits on." Roxanne pointed out with a sinful voice and tugged on Illumi's pants and underwear so they fell quickly to his ankles, before stepping back to admire Erik's body. It was shorter and bulkier than Illumi's and the skin on his back wasn't as flawless, showing some spots here and there, but it still provided her a nice booty to look at. "I'm sure we'll figure something out."

Smirking, Erik stepped out of his pants and turned around, showing that, to Bleach's absolute delight, there was still one part of his anatomy – other than his eyes – that remained completely Illumi's. A part that was growing increasingly proud with the attention she was giving its owner.

Illumi's eyes also performed their own share of shameless staring, running up and down Bleach's body slowly and appreciatively, silently lamenting that she already had her bathing suit on, even if the dark green one piece did virtually nothing to hide her curves from him. Especially with her fake long red hair wrapped in a bun on the back of her head.

Without even a hint of embarrassment, Illumi bent down to grab his clothes from the floor and folded them neatly as he marched to the small bench on which his also green swimming trunks were waiting for him. As he put on the article, he noted how Bleach's clothes had been rolled tidily before the thief had laid them on her bench in a truly pragmatic display of organization.

_I never would've thought she would be even remotely orderly._

"What's so fascinating about my clothes?"

There was no denying the impatience in Roxanne's voice and Illumi found it imprudent of Erik to keep his woman waiting. Storing this particular piece of information about the thief somewhere in his mind, Illumi put on his swimming trunks and turned to the woman, smiling warmly as he walked to her.

"Nothing nearly as fascinating as you, lovely. Now come on, let's start this relaxing bath before the water grows cold." Erik responded, offering his hands as support for Roxanne to step into the bath. "Ladies first."

"I haven't been a lady since the day I met you, _Erik_." Roxanne spoke as she laid her hands in Erik's and slowly climbed up the steps and into the ofuro hot tub, releasing a delighted moan as the hot water all but made love to her legs. "So good…"

"I never thought I'd say that, but I'm kind of jealous of this hot tub." Erik teased, climbing into the ofuro himself and pulling the woman's body to his from behind. The next words were spoken by Illumi, in a much lower volume. "I thought only I made you moan like that."

"Aren't we arrogant?" Bleach teased in a whisper, with a smirk that was all _her_ gracing her lips.

Illumi's response was to sit down inside of the tub and pull the woman with him, making her yelp in surprise and the water swash loudly around them. A curse was quick to try and make its way through Bleach's lips, but the assassin killed it quickly with whispered words of his own.

"We're being watched just like before. No blind spots, and she has relatively good audio on us, but we can still whisper to each other safely."

"Yay." Bleach responded in sarcasm, resisting the urge to glare at the assassin from over her shoulder at the stunt he had just pulled. Also, the guy had no business holding her on his lap like that, no matter how good it felt. "Let me make good use of it then and demand that you let me go."

"I can't do that, _Roxanne_." Illumi spoke, tightening slightly his hold on the woman's waist in a reproachful manner. " _This_ is how lovers enjoy their baths." Then, he lessened his hold once again and stretched his legs as he laid back on the wooden ramp behind him, pulling her so she was laying completely flush over him. "Just relax and enjoy it."

Bleach didn't know how she managed to replace the ugly glare she wanted to throw over her shoulder at the assassin by Roxanne's warm and seductive smile as she forced herself to mimic Illumi's stance lay her head back on his shoulder. But she did.

Well, maybe it helped a little that the petal roses were covering what took place beneath the surface of the water from Eva Corsano's prying eyes, allowing her to violently dig her nails into the flesh of Illumi's arms.

"I hate you more than everything." Bleach whispered into the man's ears, moving her body so she was sitting across his tighs, lessening the – _so fucking good. why does he have to make it all feel so fucking good?!_ – contact between their skin and making it easier for them to face and whisper to each other.

Illumi responded with an amused smile and planted a kiss on the top of her head before lowering his mouth to her ear.

"No other emotion is closer to love than hate."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I hope the chapter was worth the wait. Hopefully I'll manage to post the next one sooner. =.=
> 
> At least we got lots of IllumixBleach moments. I hope you all liked them. ;)
> 
> Kisses,  
> RedVoid


	52. Undeniable Mission: A Moment Of Calm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone :)
> 
> I'm very sorry for how long it took me to update this chapter. College continues to kick my ass and free time is hard to come by. Unfortunately I don't see this ending any time soon so next chapter will most likely take a good while to come by as well... I'm really sorry about that. :(
> 
> But, though I can't make any promises about when I'll be releasing the next chapter, I can promise this is nowhere close to entering a hiatus. Albeit slowly, chapters will come. ;)

It was almost 6PM - three hours before Bleach and Illumi would have to leave their room to go and meet up with Eva Corsano in a restaurant where, according with the internet, the meal cost an average of 200.000 jenny, plus drinks and tips.

_Why doesn't that woman go to a swingers club or something like that? It sure would be a lot cheaper than this shit._

Bleach sighed as she stared out the window through a large gap between the curtains, watching as the bright yellow sunlight illuminating the buildings and streets bellow her slowly gave place to the red and orange hues of dawn.

_Holy shit. Have I been sitting here for the past two hours?_

Absentmindedly, Bleach turned around to face the bed wherein Illumi was sleeping silently, not minding at all the sunlight invading the room even though he was lying on his side, facing both her and the half open window.

_It sure took its toll on him, keeping the transformation for six hours straight without the help of his needles._

After their hour-long soak in the tub, both had been lead to another room, where two futons waited for them side by side. It seemed their couple package also included a couple's massage that would take almost two hours of their time.

By the end of their massage, Bleach could already note some droplets of sweat starting to sprout on Illumi's forehead and neck due to the strain of using his Nen for so long and it made her quite anxious. All the thief wanted to do was return to their hotel before he turned back to normal – _as normal as he can be anyway_ – and blew up their cover.

But things could never go as she wished.

Both were back into their clothes and shoes and walking out of the Spa when none other than Eva Corsano herself approached them. She had finished her own massage and was about to get lunch. Would they care to join her?

They'd love to. And there went two more hours of their time.

* * *

" _Look, man." Bleach had began once both she and Illumi entered the taxi. "You get us back in our hotel in less than 20 minutes and I pay you double."_

* * *

He got both there in 15 minutes. By that time, Erik's fingers were already elongating into Illumi's and his hair was a shade darker; his shirt was drenched in sweat.

However, despite the obvious strain the whole thing was taking on his body, the assassin didn't show one sign of discomfort if he could help it. He kept his face friendly and smiling at anyone that looked his way, and his arm light around Bleach's shoulders as they walked to their room, not once using her as support.

Only when they were inside their room, safe behind closed doors, did Illumi allow himself some sort of reaction. And even that wasn't nearly as dramatic as Bleach expected. There was no fainting or even the slightest bending of his body as a sign of exhaustion; all the assassin did was sigh in relieve as his flesh and skin immediately morphed back to their original shape. He even took the time to calmly take off his shoes, shirt and pants, and ask Bleach to set up a wake-up call at 7PM before slipping in his side of the bed and falling into a much needed slumber.

Immediately, Bleach fell in a state of half-dreaming herself, allowing her thoughts to drift back to the bath they both had shared some hours ago.

* * *

" _If I had known a nice setting was all it took to make you so calm and tender I would've brought you to a Spa like this weeks ago."_

_Sitting across Illumi's lap with her face buried in the crook of his neck, Bleach scowled. "First: I would never agree to come with you to such a place. I'm just here because I'm fucking obliged to so we can complete this mission." Despite the obvious disdain in her low voice, the woman's arms remained loose around the assassin's neck and shoulders and she made no motion to shrug off the hand that was caressing one of her thighs inside the water, nor the one around her shoulders, holding her close to the man. "Second: places like this are rather expensive and, as far as I remember, I'm barely worth the hour-price at a shitty motel."_

_Bleach was surprised when fingers suddenly stopped caressing her skin beneath the water-surface, as if her words had actually hit some sort of target inside the assassin._

"… _You shouldn't take those words so seriously, lovely." Illumi finally whispered in her ear, raising his arm from the water so he could fully embrace the woman on his lap, pulling her to him in a hug that, if she were any less untrusting of the man, Bleach would've deemed apologetic. "I'd pay fortunes to have you in my bed again."_

" _I'm not for sale, you shit." The woman snarled, resisting the urge to push away from the man. "Never again."_

_Bleach felt in her cheek the man pursuing his lips, obviously frustrated at how aggressive was her response to something that was meant to be flattering. To add insult to injury, Bleach moved her body so now she was sitting on the floor of the ofuro tub, in-between Illumi's thighs. To anyone – aka: Eva Corsano – watching them from the cameras, it seemed the woman had just tried to get more comfortable, still keeping herself flush to her lover, however, if one was to look inside the water, they'd see a small gap between the couple's bodies. Only the back woman's shoulders was actually touching the man's skin, softly using his chest as support to her weight._

" _ **Roxanne**_ _…" Illumi whispered in a scolding voice, laying his hands on Bleach's hips so he could pull her closer to him._

" _Don't even try to force me closer." Bleach warned, laying her head back on Erik's shoulder and her hands atop his so she could dig her nails on his flesh beneath the surface of the water. "Eva only sees me trying to get more comfortable inside this tub, but if you push too hard, she'll see me getting out of it."_

_Immediately, Illumi's hands went lax around Bleach's hips but he didn't remove them from where they were. Instead, he started to slowly rub his thumbs on the woman skin as he buried his face on the back of her neck, releasing a warm breath all over the skin there._

_There were many ways the assassin could take this. He could try and tease the woman further; he could apologize; he could try some physical seduction; he could even change the subject of the conversation entirely._

_But he chose to do nothing at all._

_Given enough time Bleach was bound to take some initiative and, in her current mood, the assassin believed that allowing her this little bit of control would be the shortest way into appeasing her. And, truth be told, he was a bit too tired to properly calculate his every word at the moment to have the desired response – k_ _eeping his transformation without his needles was starting to take its toll on his body; it_ _**was** _ _the second day in a row he had to do so._ _And, even when he was in top condition, Bleach's reaction was never certain._

"… _Not that I'm complaining, but aren't you going to say anything else?"_

_The softly spoken question caused vibrations to spread from the woman's thorax into the man's chest and he had to hold back the momentarily urge to press Bleach's body into his._

" _I don't know what you want me to say." The assassin admitted, moving his head so it was lying on Bleach's shoulder and he could stare at her profile._

_Bleach sighed and closed her eyes. "I don't want you to say anything. I just… I don't know. Forget it. Just don't do anything to ruin my mood, alright? I want to enjoy the bath."_

_Illumi was quite satisfied when he felt the woman go completely lax in his arms, finally occupying that bothersome gap between their bodies. And even more so when her hands gently laid atop his bent knees._

" _I could give you a massage." The assassin offered, increasing the pressure his thumbs were applying on the woman's back._

" _You could." Bleach agreed, opening one of her eyes to stare at the man's face, seemingly staring innocently up at her. "But why would you?"_

" _You seem to enjoy those. And I enjoy making you feel good-" Illumi answered without hesitation, smiling warmly at the woman._

_If that woman was Roxanne or Bleach, the thief didn't know - Illumi didn't allow her to know._

" _-Also, we both could use a lessening in the stress levels around here. We are a couple relaxing, aren't we?"_

_Bleach smirked internally as Roxanne smiled lovingly to Erik._

" _You do have such skilled fingers… It would be a waste not to put them to good use." The woman agreed, sitting a bit straighter in the tub and offering her scarred back to her "lover". "Just don't expect me to reciprocate the favour."_

_Illumi responded by laying his hands on her shoulders and kneading them deliciously, before slowly moving down, caressing all of the muscles in the thief's back. Not ten minutes into her massage and Bleach was already having to fight back moans of pleasure that were trying to leave her lips._

" _Can I ask you something? You don't have to answer if you don't want to."_

_The question was spoken in a whisper so low that, even though Illumi's lips were glued to her ear, the thief barely heard it. His hands working on the muscles of her lower back were making her quite dumb._

" _Hmm… What is it?" The woman breathed out, head dropping to the side so her forehead was touching the man's temple._

" _If I hadn't forced you on our first time together, would you have been ashamed of showing your scars to me?"_

_Tension immediately returned to Bleach's muscles and the only thing that kept Illumi from cursing to himself inside his mind was the fact that the woman hadn't pulled away from him –_ _**yet** _ _._

"… _Why do you ask?"_

_Never stopping the soothing movements of his fingers, Illumi shrugged._

" _I've noticed you always favour clothing that completely covers your back. However, you didn't hesitate in stripping to put on your bathing suit, even though you knew someone else was watching. It just made me wonder."_

" _My scars are quite showy and I usually can't afford to be easily spotted in a crowd, especially in crowds at expensive dinner parties when I'm most certainly up to no good. That's why I always keep my back covered."_

_That explanation didn't really answer Illumi's question but he thought prudent not to press any further. The woman's voice was mechanical and had a certain timbre of finality to it, making it very clear for him that she wasn't comfortable talking about this particular subject._

_To his surprise, she continued talking even so._

"... _Before, when I walked the streets, I hated these scars. Many men tried to cheat me out of my money, saying they had been played into fucking a whore so deformed. Others thought that meant I could take it as rough as they wanted; it was always painful."_

_Illumi's hands slowly stopped their motions and settled gently on the woman's hips. His eyes were fixed on the woman's profile, watching her scowling lips and glaring eyes with rapid attention._

" _Then, when Harry first saw them-"_

" _Harry?"_

" _My first – and only so far – actual boyfriend. When he first saw those scars… I didn't hate them anymore. Harry didn't as much as flinch from them; he showed me that no man who used those scars as an excuse to pressure or take advantage of me was nothing more than a piece of shit. He taught me that where I've been and what I've done didn't make me any less worthy than any other woman in the world." Bleach sighed, allowing a small smile to curl her lips at the memory of the boy. Had it been really two years since she last saw him? "I didn't really sleep with many men after him, but I never felt ashamed of showing anyone my scars agai-"_

_Bleach gasped in surprise and her eyes widened when she felt Illumi's arms encircle her waist and pull her gently against him in one of the most comforting gestures anyone had ever offered her._

_The thief knew it was all just an act; all just so the assassin could slip through her defences and crawl all under her skin. The thief knew it was all just another well-planned move on his part so he could gain some of her trust and manipulate her again. The thief_ _**knew** _ _._

_But the woman still couldn't help but lay her hands atop of his and relax in his embrace._

Now, hours later, Bleach had enough clarity to worry properly about that exchange. She had to face the facts: Illumi was slowly but surely breaching her defences, and she didn't find it in her to stop him. The assassin was the only one Bleach had ever confided the more painful and sordid details of her past, and, as much as it pained her to admit, it was… _nice_ , to have someone to talk to about that stuff. And gods forbid she ever confided those sad details to Gon or Killua or even Elmsy; she cared too much about them to trouble their minds with such unpleasant matters.

Also, there was the matter of that unnatural and uncalled-for attraction she felt for the assassin; it always managed to take some - very necessary, mind you - points of her IQ away.

_This isn't good. No matter what I do, I can't get anywhere near the bastard without something happening between us._

Bleach sighed tiredly, pushing the heels of her hands into her eyes. She just wanted this mission to be done and over with so she and Illumi could go on their separate ways. The bastard was already crawling too deep underneath her skin and she couldn't keep herself from trying to do the same to him. She liked teasing him as much as he did her and this reciprocity would undoubtedly go a long way in getting her fucked.

_Literally and figuratively._

"You should try and get some sleep as well."

Startled, Bleach whipped her head so she could fix her eyes on the assassin's form. He was laying on his side, staring at her with scary intensity, as if trying to peel her flesh and bones and bare her soul to him. Never breaking eye-contact, he pulled the covers off the other side of the bed for her.

"Come here."

Alarm bells rang loudly inside the thief's head, begging her to forget the mission and just run out of the room and away from Illumi. Forever.

"I won't hurt you, Bleach. I just want you to be well-rested for tonight." The words were soft and reassuring. And they sent delicious sensations from her scalp, all the way down to her lower belly and groin. "Come. Lay with me."

"I'm good." Bleach answered in a low voice; mustering a will power she didn't know she was capable of at the moment to turn her gaze away from those deep pools of black ink.

She heard covers shuffling for a second and, next thing she knew, Illumi was standing in front of her, his legs almost touching hers but not quite so. She couldn't help but roam her gaze all over his body, appreciating all of the strong muscles his underwear-cladded form revealed to her before once again settling her eyes on those magnetic orbs of his.

"Come." He repeated, offering his hand to her.

Slowly and without words, Bleach reached out to take his hand, allowing him to pull her to her feet and lead her into the bed.

When the thief started to build her barricade of pillows between their halves of the mattress once again, Illumi stopped her, grabbing her hands into his and pulling her body flush to his. She was still fully clothed, but that wasn't enough to dull the electricity that sparked between them at the sudden contact. All thoughts of claiming he was harassing her by touching her inside bedroom walls – something she had expressively forbidden him of doing – completely evaded Bleach's mind.

"Just sleep." The assassin urged softly, reaching out with one hand to push some strands of white hair behind her ear. "I won't do anything to you while you rest. You're safe."

"I'm never safe when I'm with you." Bleach retorted in a breathy voice, even though her tense muscles were slowly relaxing, revelling in the warmth that came from Illumi's body.

"That isn't true." He protested in a husky whisper, daring to move his hand from her ear to her lower back and press her form even more firmly to his.

Bleach felt one of the man's legs slip in-between hers and had to bite her lips to keep herself from moaning at the sensation of his thigh brushing lightly against her groin.

"It is." The woman insisted, shutting her eyes firmly in a desperate measure to cease eye contact with the assassin. "So let me go. Now."

Illumi felt a scowl threaten to make its way to his lips and, for a second, he considered rolling them over just to spite her. He doubted Bleach would be able to deny him now if he were to push things a little further; it was clear she wanted him to the point she couldn't think rationally anymore. She didn't have the strength to pull away from him now; this plea was the thief's last defence.

And, since he had to complete this job as well as set up the groundwork for a new and prolonged game with the woman, that defence would suffice. He'd have to allow her this small victory if he was to prolong their game.

"Let's sleep." Illumi proposed in an emotionless voice, slowly detaching his body from Bleach's.

"Yes." Bleach agreed quickly, rolling on the bed so she was facing away from the man laying so close to her. "That would be best."

She could feel the assassin stare at the back of her head for some moments still before the sound of him rolling and giving his back to her as well reached her ears.

Relief and disappointment filled the woman in equal proportions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I honestly don't know what to think about this chapter. On one side we have lots of IllumixBleach moments and introspection from her, two things I honestly love to write; on another, we have close to no development of their mission. It is a important chapter, but I kind of feel that it is a bit of a filler as well. XPXP
> 
> Well, filler or not, I hope you all enjoyed it. And please tell me what you think about it. :)
> 
> Kisses,  
> RedVoid
> 
> PS: this chapter's name comes from a sort of tea I like from Twinings XDXD


	53. Undeniable Mission: Meet Me Halfway

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Surprising even myself, I'm updating this already! I had a long holyday last week and used my college-free time to write this chapter! :D (and study, but let's focus on the fun part here XP)
> 
> I'm not sure when next chapter will be up (my next long holyday will be in September T.T) but let's hope it'll be before the end of April. XDXD

" _You're both here to relax and enjoy a romantic getaway, huh? Well, there is a Spa in town that will be perfect for you two! They have massages and ofuro baths for couples, among other things. I always go there when I come to town and I can assure you, their service is impeccable. If you wish, I can call there tomorrow morning and tell them to expect you."_

_"Erik and I would love that Thank you very much, Eva."_

* * *

Dinner was an astoundingly frustrating experience for Bleach. She and Illumi had to act as a couple who tried but simply couldn't keep their hands off one another when the last thing the woman wanted was to feel the assassin's hands on her skin, giving her delicious gooseflesh and making her think back about all the sinful things they had done to her body already.

The fact that Eva Corsano was watching them with a positively predatory glint in her eyes only made the tension surrounding their table worse.

" _Erik."_ Roxanne chided as she forced herself to give a teasing smirk to the man sitting at her side, making a show of pushing the man's hand from her inner thigh. "Behave yourself. We have company."

"Don't mind me, Roxanne. It's always heart-warming to see such a passionate couple. It reminds me of my own lover." Eva purred, reaching across the table to take one of Roxanne's gloved hands in her own.

Bleach hated wearing gloves; they always made her hands itch. But, while Illumi was able to change his fingerprints, the thief wasn't and she wasn't about to leave them lying around, even if no databank around the world had them stored and associated to her name.

_Well, not like any databank has my name stored anyway. Still, better safe than sorry._

Immediately, Illumi's hands laid back over the thief's thigh, giving it a delicious squeeze beneath the table-cloth.

"See, Roxanne?" Erik purred with a large smile. "Eva understands our predicament."

"I do." The art-dealer reassured in a honeyed voice. "But I'd like to understand it even better-"

Roxanne's eyes widened when she felt a bare foot slid up her calf and turned her eyes to her partner, to find he too had been startled by something – most likely Eva's other foot caressing his leg.

"-We've been having a wonderful time together and I was wondering if you two would like to leave this place with me. I'm heading out to a sort of "romantic rendezvous", where my lover is awaiting for me. And we'd love to have your company for the night. Maybe, if you wish it so, even a couple of days."

"That is… quite the offer." Erik began, giving Eva a hesitant smile. "I'd be lying if I said I'm not curious about it, but I won't go if it's something that displeases Roxanne. We came here to spend some quality with each other before we start the tiring wedding preparations and I'm not sure how this… scenario will affect our own romantic getaway."

"It's alright, Erik." Roxanne purred, laying a gentle hand on the back of the man's neck. "I'd be lying if I said it hadn't crossed my mind; I'm kind of curious as well. Not to mention that… well, I was planning on inviting a friend of mine to join us on the last day of our trip. I wanted to present you with a ménage-a-trois-"

"Lovely, you shouldn't-"

"-I wanted to. We've been solely with each other for a long time now and I don't want you to have any regrets-"

"Roxanne. Listen to me." Erik interrupted once again, staring into the woman's false blue eyes with an intensity that made Eva's knees tremble with excitement. "I could _never_ regret you."

"And I could never regret you." The woman responded, smiling lovingly. "But I thought it would be nice for us to add a third party to this before the wedding, just to be sure we're really set about it. And I think this opportunity will be perfect for us to do just that. And I'm sure Eva won't push us into anything we're not comfortable with." Roxanne turned a soft smile in Eva's direction. "Right?"

"Absolutely." The brunette confirmed, smiling widely. "If comes a point any of you say _enough_ , we'll stop right away. There are plenty of rooms in the place after all. You'll have plenty of space to yourselves, if you wish."

Erik and Roxanne exchanged a long glance as Illumi and Bleach gave themselves a mental slap in the back at their most recent success with the art-dealer. Now, all they had to do was sit back and wait for Eva to take them to the target. Then, Bleach would find a way to keep the woman separated from her lover, while Illumi took care of him.

 _A job without collateral damage._ Illumi mused as the waiter settled their food on the table. _Don't remember when was the last time I had one of those._

* * *

Dinner went by rather quickly for the trio. They all were rather anxious to go home and have dessert after all – or at least, they all pretended to be.

"I hope you don't mind our blackout windows." Eva Corsano began once they entered the backseat of her limo. "My lover doesn't like to reveal to our guests the exact locations of our rendezvous, so all of our cars are like that."

"No worries." Roxanne reassured with a soft smile, scooting closer to Erik's right so she could lay a hand high on his thigh. "If we can't see the outside, people there can't see us either, right?"

Eva's smile became positively lustful as she watched Roxanne's hand slowly move up and down on her lover's thigh, always threatening to reach the sweetest part of his anatomy, but never quite making it. Not one to remain a passive observer, the art-dealer moved so she was sitting at the redhead's free side with her body touching hers as much as possible.

"That is correct." The brunette purred in Roxanne's ear, laying her hand over hers on Erik's leg and pushing it up, all the way to the man's crotch, while her blood-coloured lips planted a languid kiss behind the redhead's ear. "We have absolute privacy in here."

Illumi watched with interest how, despite knowing for a certainty how bothersome such uncalled closeness would be to Bleach, she barely tensed at the contact. The only signs of discomfort were the slight strain in her smile and the annoyed glint in her expressive eyes, both very subtle to be noticed by anyone who didn't make an habit of watching the woman as closely as he did.

_She truly is a great actress._

"You've been with a woman before, haven't you?" Eva asked of the redhead with a sly smile.

"I've had some experiences, yes." Bleach answered easily, forcing herself to return the smile. "But only in threesomes."

"Always prompted by a man then?" Eva continued, pulling Roxanne's face towards her. "Never wanted to try it for yourself?"

"Not really." Bleach admitted, watching with attentive eyes as the brunette woman pulled her hands away from Illumi and towards herself.

"Well, let's see if I can change that."

Before the thief cold say anything, Eva had thrown one of her legs over her lap, straddling her as her red lips descended on her neck, planting languorous kisses on her skin while her hands started to roam her body in a way that made Bleach want to shove the woman to the floor of the limo.

It was kind of weird actually. Back in the day, Bleach was always relieved when her clients hired other prostitutes to join them. It meant the man was more interesting in watching some girl-on-girl action instead of actually participating and, while not exactly a turn-on for her, Bleach could appreciate the gentle handling she was given during those occasions.

But this felt extremely different because Eva fit much better the role of a client than that of a companion. Despite her promises of never again putting herself to sale, Bleach was bound – by contract – to do so; she had to do whatever she could to complete Undeniable Missions such as this, even if it involved having someoneshe didn't want touching her. All she could do was to clench her jaw, glare up at the ceiling and just hope it all would be over soon. Man or woman, violent or gentle… it didn't matter who or how her clients were, they all made her feel like shit during and afterwards.

"I'm feeling a bit left out here."

Erik's voice startled Bleach out of her anger-filled stupor, as did the masculine hand that sneaked in-between both women and closed around Bleach's waist, pulling her from underneath Eva and closer to himself. Bleach's eyes were immediately drawn to Illumi's and she couldn't help but gasp when those black orbs erased whatever remainder of Eva's figure from her sight and mind at the same time they reassured her that he was not allowing the art-dealer to do with her as she pleased. Only he could torment the thief like that.

Not to mention that it was _his_ job; he was there to deal with the situation too, obliged by contract to do so.

"How very… interesting." Eva breathed out, watching how the man pulled the redhead across his lap with a gentle but possessive motion. "Men usually have no qualms in sharing their lady with another woman."

"It's not as if I'm opposed to watch two beautiful women please each other…" Illumi began with a soft smile, even though he pulled Bleach's body closer to his own. "But it's hard for me to keep my hands off her. And I don't like all that much not being the focus of my lovely's attention. I like those bright eyes of her staring at me while I pleasure her to the best of my abilities."

Desire ran down Bleach's spine as an electric current and before she knew it, her face was already buried in the crook of Illumi's neck so she could suckle on the man's earlobe before pulling back to smirk cockily at him.

"Don't act like you don't enjoy watching as I pleasure you as well. Hmm… The look in your eyes when I put your cock in my mouth. I get wet only thinking about it."

Truth be told, Illumi was getting hard at thinking about it too and, at that moment, he'd quite enjoy a repeat performance for him to watch. If only they were alone in that car.

"That is something I'd like to see indeed." Eva purred, taking advantage of her now direct access to both Erik and Roxanne's forms to lay her hands on each of their thighs. "Roxanne, dear, why don't you scoot over to Erik's other side. He's been such a good boy... I think we could give him a treat, don't you?"

Bleach and Illumi exchanged fake, sly smirks before Roxanne slid off Erik's lap so she was kneeling by his left, held stable on the limousine's seat by the assassin's left arm around her hips. Eva wasted no time in dropping to her knees on the floor of the limousine, between the man's legs.

"You sure we have enough time for this, Eva?" Erik asked in a husky voice.

"Well, aren't we confident?" Eva asked teasingly as she started to undo the buttons of the man's ´dress pants. "Two beautiful women ready to pleasure you at the same time and you're worried about not having enough time to finish?"

"Don't underestimate him, Eva." Roxanne purred as she loosened Erik's tie and undid the first buttons of his shirt. "Erik does have a lot of stamina."

"I need to keep up with you, lovely." Illumi responded with a smirk, raising his right hand so he could gently hold her chin in place as his gaze bore down on hers. "And believe me when I say this: the effort always pays off."

Bleach immediately buried her face on the man's neck once again, this time to hide from him the blush on her cheeks. A blush that only grew darker when she felt Illumi plant a languid kiss on her temple as his right hand – the one who wasn't keeping her in place – settled itself atop Eva's head, gently taking hold of a handful of her rich brown hair as the brunette finally released him from his pants.

"Her hair doesn't feel nearly as good as yours." Illumi whispered in Bleach's ear lowly so only she could hear it. "And I'm sure her mouth won't either."

As Eva started to work on Erik, Illumi pulled Bleach tighter to himself, causing her to gasp and pull her face slightly away from the crook of his neck so she could fix her gaze on his as her hands started to run up and down his chest and shoulders, firmly massaging his strong muscles.

"As I thought-" Illumi began in a whisper, raising his hand from her hip to the back of her head so he could pull her face closer to his, until their lips were but a breath away. "-not nearly as good as you."

Bleach blushed and smirked at the same time.

"Good."

Bleach then started to kiss, lick and nip at the exposed skin of the man's neck and clavicle, but frequently pausing to fix her bright eyes on Illumi's dark ones.

When he reached with a hand beneath her dress and panties and worked her into a frenzy, she was staring at him. And when Eva – finally – managed to push him over the edge, he was staring at her.

And when both turned their attentions to please their hostess – meaning that Illumi did most of the job while Bleach participated from the side-lines – they were staring at each other.

* * *

"If you don't mind me asking-" Roxanne began once all of them were properly dressed and rested from the activities of not five minutes ago. "-why have the trouble of approaching and pampering us like you did to take us home with you? If you're into swing and all, wouldn't it be easier to go to places specialized in this kind of stuff instead of plucking us out of a mass of people in an art event?"

"Well, me and my lover have quite high standards so we prefer to choose our partner in more upscale events, such as the gala from yesterday." Eva began, laying her head on Roxanne's shoulder. "And I like the thrill of the chase, of winning couples over and seducing them into experimenting something new. Also…"

"…Also?" Bleach insisted, shooting an annoyed glare when Illumi gave her a firm and reproachful bite on the earlobe.

"Also I prefer people like you, who are so passionate about each other. In swingers club, many couples can't wait to switch their partners; their passion long gone. Like my lover and me." The art-dealer confessed with a sad smile curling in her now blotched lips. "We were once like you, you know? So into each other we could barely orgasm without the other around, but now… Now I'm lucky if she can reach her climax at all when I'm in the room."

Bleach and Illumi exchanged a curious and slightly surprised glance from over Eva's shoulder at hearing the pronoun _she_. However, before either could deepen the subject, the car had pulled over and the backseat's speakers were activated.

" _Miss Corsano, we've arrived."_ The driver announced. _"Would it be alright for me to go and open the door for you, or would you like some more time with your guests?"_

Eva sat up and reached to press a button on the car's ceiling.

"You can come and open the door for us, Nill. Thank you."

Eva's "romantic rendezvous" was actually a three-store mansion on the outskirts of the city. It was enormous, beautiful, expensive and, most importantly, completely empty if not for the trio who had just arrived and Eva's partner dwelling upstairs, waiting for them to summon her. The couple's security measures were limited to a thorough body-check – not so thorough, since they couldn't feel Illumi's Senbon needles pinned in strategic locations of his clothes' fabric – and a couple of dozen of armed guards placed outside. According with Milluki's app, INO, there were no active security cameras or microphones inside the mansion.

 _Some people do love their privacy_. The assassin mused as he discreetly pocketed his phone – which, he noticed, had no signal or internet access whatsoever – while absent-mindedly following Eva inside the manor.

"Why don't you two wait here?" Eva Corsano asked, performing a wide gesture to refer to the large and luxurious living room. "I'll go and tell my partner we've arrived. Let me just give you a fair warning: she loves big entrances so it mig-

"Wait a second, please." Bleach interrupted with an embarrassed smile. "Could you show me where the toilet is before we start anything?"

Eva nodded with an amused smile on her face. "Of course. Follow me, lovely."

As soon as the brunette turned around, Bleach's face turned serious and she gave a pointed look to Illumi from over her shoulders.

In a blink of an eye, the assassin had disappeared from the living room.

* * *

"So, what do you think about the house?" Eva asked conversationally as she guided the other woman through a long and wide corridor. "Personally, this is one of my favourites. Far enough so we get that feeling we're alone in the world – if you ignore the heavy security poised just outside, that is – but close enough to a large town so I can sate my cravings for civilization."

"It is a beautiful place." Bleach agreed with fake enthusiasm as her eyes watched the ceiling for any cameras. She was surprised at finding none, given Eva's blatant invasion of Roxanne and Erik's personal space in that Spa.

_Guess she likes to watch but not of being watched. Typical double standards._

There was no denying that some things in Eva annoyed Bleach greatly – how she always expected people to bend to her will and, most of all, the predatory glint in her eyes whenever they settled on anyone's figure – but that was no reason to want the woman dead. That was why, when they had reached the restroom, Bleach delivered a swift blow on the back of the woman's neck, promptly rending her unconscious.

"Now, let's get you tied up." Bleach spoke to herself as she grabbed the brunette's limp body, keeping her from hitting the ground and hurting herself even more. "Good thing your staff didn't think to search my wig."

Without further ado, Bleach carried Eva into the restroom and laid her down on the marble floor. Quickly, the thief removed her red wig and, from the hair-net that was keeping her white locks in place, removed three long plastic handcuffs and one thin but resistant piece of rope. One of the handcuffs she closed around Eva's wrists behind her back, other she used on her ankles and the last around her knees. Then, she ripped a large piece of fabric from her dress and stuffed it inside the art-dealer's mouth, before using her rope to repeatedly encircle the woman's head at the level of her lips, keeping the fabric firmly in place. Last but not least, she tore a piece of Eva's black dress and tied it around the woman's eyes, as a blindfold.

Once she was satisfied with her work, Bleach stood up and stared at the brunette for some seconds. No doubts, she'd wake up scared and extremely sore; she'd spend endless minutes crying and trying to scream and plead before finally calming down to approach the situation in a more rational way and try to struggle out of her bounds. Hours later she'd find the whole endeavour fruitless and return to crying or just remain quiet, waiting for someone to approach her first. Too bad that would take almost a whole day, if not more, to happen - her guards wouldn't notice anything wrong until late afternoon of the next day, at the very least.

"Sorry…" Bleach whispered, truly apologetically. "But it was that or letting you get killed as well. Hope you'll understand. If not… Well, we won't see each other again anyway. Because, believe me when I say it, _Roxanne_ is a name I won't use ever again as an alias. Really, couldn't that shithead pick me something more common and that didn't sound like a porn star's name? The fucking asshole does this only to annoy me."

Bleach huffed and glared at her image in the mirror, suddenly annoyed with Illumi again even though the man had done nothing to trigger such emotion.

_By now, he must be done with his target …_

That thought only made the thief's glare harden and, with another huff, she stalked out of the bathroom to go and find the assassin.

It was past the time they finished that mission.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We finally make significant advances with the mission! XDXD
> 
> On a side note: that limo scene was a pain in the ass for me to write! Regular, one man-one woman lemon is already hard enough to write; threesomes (even without the actual sex) are even worse. I did my best but still... sorry if it's a bit confusing. =.=
> 
> Hope you enjoyed the chapter! :)
> 
> Kisses,  
> RedVoid


	54. Undeniable Mission: Personal Issues

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All I can say about his chapter's delay is: when sprouting, wisdom teeth may hurt like a bitch and leave you an useless mess that gets doped on painkillers for a whole week. T.T

_"Could you show me where the toilet is before we start anything?"_

_Eva nodded with an amused smile on her face. "Of course. Follow me, lovely."_

_As soon as the brunette turned around, Bleach's face turned serious and she gave a pointed look to Illumi from over her shoulders._

_In a blink of an eye, the assassin had disappeared from the living room._

* * *

After all the trouble they – well, Bleach mostly; overall Illumi had had a pretty good time tormenting the thief throughout the mission – had gone through, the kill itself was rather… disappointing in its easiness. The assassin had quickly found his target in her large and luxurious bedroom, sitting at a wide desk filled with different computer screens that hid her face from him, no doubt performing her job as _Minerva_ , the underworld Mafia boss who acted solely through the internet. She hadn't even realized he was there inside her chambers, staring at her with boredom written all over his face.

Absent-mindedly, Illumi noticed a sawed-off shotgun laying in a meant-to-be hidden compartment beneath the desk, at easy reach.

It was of no help. The gun could've been in the woman's hands and she wouldn't have managed to make good use of it before the cold metal of five long Senbon needles pierced the flesh of her neck, killing her instantly.

As soon as the kill was made, the assassin turned around on the spot, ready to walk out of the room. He didn't intend to as much as bother to find out his target's identity, even if she was quite a big-shot in the underworld. She was dead, it really didn't matter anymore.

However, midway in his spin, Illumi noticed something laying on the opposite wall to the dead woman and instinctively marched towards the object. It was something he wouldn't have given a second glance if not for the fact that he had watched Bleach become almost mesmerized by it on the previous night.

It was that painting: Gustav Klimt's The Kiss.

_Eva must've had it brought over to make an impression on her adored Roxanne._

And, Illumi was sure, she'd have succeeded. Bleach would once again feel disconcerted in staring at the image that had managed to bring back her many, many bad memories of men- _of Cressar_.

_Well, it would be a shame to let Eva's efforts come to waste. After all, she was kind enough to lead me to my target._

And, good or bad, Illumi never wasted a chance to make an impression on Bleach either.

With mechanic motions, Illumi morphed his fingernails by sharp claws and used them to perform a clean cut of the painting's perimeter, removing the painted canvas from is frame before rolling it in a long cylinder and putting it beneath his arm.

Around the world, artists, art-appreciators and pretty much anyone who had as much as heard about The Kiss felt their heart clench painfully for a moment.

"So, who was the poor woman after all?"

Illumi actually had to make an effort not to jump when the soft – and quite judgemental – question floated into the room, followed by footsteps he didn't actually hear but knew were making their way to his most recent victim.

"No way."

Bleach's words weren't at all loud, but they were still enough to completely earn Illumi's attention and, before he knew it, the assassin was standing by her side, staring down at the fresh corpse.

Once he finally took a good look at the profile of the dead woman - who fell forwards on her table with her head turned to the side - he immediately understood the thief's surprise. His victim was none other than Rebecca Ayers, daughter of one of the top ten richest people on Earth – at least the "clean" top ten – and married to another.

"This is that rich as fuck heiress whose dad is a complete jackass, isn't she?" Bleach began with a scowl on her face. "I remember her marriage a couple of months ago was a huge deal. Her dad married her off with a fucker with a record of domestic violence and all, just to fuse both of their companies. He was a real pig. She, on the other hand, was that pure, religious, conservative and soft-spoken woman who always smiled and nodded."

"Only in front of the cameras it seems." Illumi put in.

"Yeah…" The thief agreed, raising her eyes to the computer screen in front of her, where the woman's email was open, showing an exchange about arrangements to steal an armoured car carrying profits from her father and husband's new company. "Guess she didn't take her father's crap as well as she seemed to."

"Guess not." Illumi agreed softly before laying his hand on Bleach's shoulder. "Come on-" He continued just as softly. "-we should to get going. It's a long way to our new hotel, and we won't be able to get a car until we reach the city."

The thief shook Illumi's hand off her shoulder but nodded her agreement nonetheless as she turned to walk out the door. Only then she noticed the assassin had something under his arm.

"What's that?"

"I'll show you when we reach our hotel. Maybe."

* * *

The new hotel they were staying at wasn't nearly as luxurious as the first one, nor was it located on the city centre. On the contrary, it was on the outskirts of the city, close to the enormous station from which their train would leave in the next morning.

 _At least this place has a small living room before the actual bedroom. Even if there's no actual door separating them._ Bleach thought as she eyed the couch in said living room longingly. _I won't have to share a bed with the fucker tonight._ _Not sure how much more I could take before trying to kill or fuck him._

"Why don't you go clean up?" Ilumi offered as he threw their larger bag at the couch and the smaller one on the bed, alongside the cone that The Kiss had been turned into. "I'll go down to the reception and print our tickets for tomorrow. Remember-"

"The train leaves 8AM, sharp. And we leave the room at 7:40. I know." Bleach stated in a tired voice, waving her hand dismissively at the assassin. "Just go already."

With that, the thief grabbed the larger handbag and gave her back to the assassin so she could walk into the small bathroom of their suite, and Illumi walked out of the room. She removed her now brown contacts and reached into the bag so she could retrieve the plastic bag that carried the sleeping clothes Illumi had arranged for her and lay it on the sink before stepping into the shower cubicle for a quick wash, careful not to get her hair wet since she wasn't in the mood to dry it or sleep with it wet.

Bleach may hate the assassin, but she had to admit: he left no loose ends.

As soon as both were a good distance away from Eva's "love nest" they had discarded their disguises; Illumi by allowing his body to morph back into its original shape and Bleach by setting fire to her wig and elbow-high gloves, as well as folding her two-in-one dress in a way that it made for a whole different outfit.

When they entered the city, Illumi lead them into the train station, where he had rented a small locker. From said locker he retrieved a large handbag with one change of regular clothes and one of sleeping ones for each of them, as well as two pairs of shoes; he also got a smaller bag, filled with some of his needles and other things he didn't bother telling her. When exactly he had put those bags in the locker, Bleach wasn't sure - maybe when they first arrived in town a couple of days ago, maybe he had a butler do it, or maybe when she went out to get his suit ironed, amongst other things - and she didn't care.

After retrieving the bags, Illumi handed her a fresh change of casual clothing and both went to the station's restrooms so they could change and dispose of their previous outfits, at last discarding the final remains of Roxanne and Erik from existence.

Dressed in jeans, T-shirt, leather jacket and ankle boots, Bleach followed Illumi - now dressed in a strange oriental green attire - to their hotel to check-in and sleep for the remaining hours of the morning, until it was time for them to catch their train.

Everything was done quickly and orderly, providing maximum efficiency in keeping their involvement in the Rebecca Ayer's murder impossible to trace, as well as allow them some rest before returning to Padokea in a timely fashion.

_Big fucking deal. I could've organized everything just as well as he did._

Scowling, Bleach turned off the shower, dried herself quickly and grabbed at the bundle of fresh clothes she had put over the sink.

Her scowl deepened at finding that her sleeping clothes consisted of nothing more than a pair of red, lace panties and a black, masculine tank top that showed a lot of cleavage and barely reached the end of her but. Also, if the scent in it was any indication, the shirt belonged to none other than the bastard himself.

_If the fucker thinks this is going to work, he has another thing coming._

Begrudgingly, Bleach put on the sexy pair of panties – it was better than the pair she was wearing, which still showed evidence of Illumi's… finger puppetry in the limo – and the top. However, she didn't stop there and reached inside the handbag once again; this time retrieving the bag with Illumi's own sleeping clothes.

_Just a pair of sweatpants and boxer shorts, huh? Well that's good enough for me._

Without a second thought, Bleach put on Illumi's pants, tying the cord tightly around her waist to keep them in place. Once ready, she grabbed her previous set of clothes and walked out of the bathroom. She found the assassin lounging on the only bed in the bedroom, eyes closed as he waited for her to vacate the bathroom.

Of course, he waited shirtless and with the button of his jeans undone, showing a mouth-watering amount of skin.

"The bathroom is all yours." Bleach stated curtly as she marched across the bedroom and into the living room, purposefully keeping her gaze away from the man's sculpted body.

Illumi opened his eyes, somehow not surprised at finding the thief wearing _his_ pants as she walked past him.

_She really could flaunt those legs for me._

"Well, I guess I'll just sleep naked then. Since you're wearing my sweatpants." Illumi spoke as he raised to his feet, not missing how Bleach's shoulders tensed in the other room. "Good for you there is no door separating the bedroom from the living room. You get a show for free."

"As is I'd ever pay for that…" The thief grumbled as she sat down on the couch and threw some of the cushions on the floor. Using the last cushion as a pillow, she laid down and shut her eyes, as if removing Illumi's image from her view would erase it from her mind. "Just go take your shower and be quick about it. I want the fucking lights out so I can sleep a bit."

"No need to act shy, lovely. I know you like it better with the lights on."

Dodging some cushions that came flying his way from the living room, the assassin walked into the bathroom and closed the door.

The lock, Bleach noticed, hadn't been turned. In her eyes - and ears –, that was as good as a verbal invitation to join him; to get in the shower with Illumi and help him soap every inch of that delicious body while he used those skilled fingers of him to-

_Get your mind out of the fucking gutter, Bleach._

With a nasty glare now burning in her rainbow eyes, Bleach huffed and started to pace around the bedroom and living room. She was much too… _agitated_ to fall asleep at the moment. Maybe she should take another shower after Illumi was done. A _cold_ shower.

As the thief tried to chase away those thoughts, her eyes focused on that cone of- what exactly? paper? some sort of fabric? – laying on the foot of the bed, besides the handbag carrying the assassin's needles.

Without a second thought, she marched towards the mysterious cone and picked it up from the floor, unwinding it in one swift motion.

The item almost fell from her hands when she set her eyes on it.

* * *

Illumi emerged from the bathroom wearing only his boxers and immediately felt something was off. The lights were all out but the curtains of the windows in the living room were drawn open, allowing soft moonlight and glaring city lights to sweep into the room and illuminate Bleach's static form sitting on the couch. Her bright eyes, now free of any sort of coloured contacts, stared fixedly at something in front of her with a sad sort of introspection that was rather uncommon in her rainbow irises.

"Bleach?"

"Why did you bring this here?" The woman demanded in an emotionless tone, not moving her eyes to acknowledge the man who was approaching her. "What reason could you have to bring _this_ here?"

Illumi followed the direction of her gaze and he really shouldn't be surprised at what he found. It was The Kiss, nailed to the wall by a couple of his needles, just across the couch.

"I hadn't intended to show it to you so soon." The assassin spoke truthfully, slowly moving even closer to the unmoving woman, intending to take a seat by her side. "You just seemed rather interested in it during the charity event. I thought that maybe, in the future, you might want to look at it again. So I-"

"Don't sit down."

Midway into the motion, Illumi stilled and debated for a moment if he should follow Bleach's command.

"Please. I can't be close to you right now."

The woman's voice was positively pleading and Illumi felt his whole body tense as dread spread inside his chest, making his heart still and his blood run cold.

Bleach did not plead. She demanded, negotiated and, on occasion – if she was in a good mood -, asked; but she did not _plead_. Pleading was for the desperate and broken and he couldn't have broken the woman. Not now. Not when his family was walking such a thin thread between union and self-destruction. Not when their game had just began again.

"What is happening?" Illumi asked in a calm voice as he not only complied with the woman's request, but also took a wide step back from her, allowing her some space.

" _He_!" Bleach hissed as, slowly, anger and disgust crept into her clear orbs, tainting them with unshed tears of hate and misery. " _He_ happened! He _is_ happening! Again! That piece of shit!" The woman doubled over, burying her head between her knees as her hands fisted around thick tuffs of her wavy hair. "He just never leaves! Most of days I'm just fine! For months I haven't even remembered he existed! But then… then, **you** come around!"

Suddenly, Bleach was standing on her feet, fixing her teary and hateful eyes on Illumi.

"You come around and bring him back!" The woman accused, voice loud and filled with agony. "You always find ways to make me feel like a worthless piece of shit like he did! You always find a way to remind me of what he did to me! And I was-"

The woman's voice suddenly broke into a sob at the same time tears managed to finally break free and streak down her face, surprising both Illumi and herself. Her anger was at once dulled by shame and Bleach immediately turned her back to the assassin; she'd be damned if she gave him the satisfaction of watching her cry because of him.

"Fuck. I was only fourteen." Bleach finished with a dejected whisper, turning her head to the side, staring with agonizing eyes at the painting that all but resurrected Cressar to her. "How could you do that to me? I was a _child_."

Illumi stared wide-eyed at the broken woman in front of him, trying to make sense of what was taking place.

He had expected some sort of reaction from Bleach when he finally showed her the painting; he had _anticipated_ it. But nothing like this. Never in a million years would the assassin think that staring at a simple painting for some minutes could ever evoke such an explosion of emotions and bring forth the most vulnerable side the thief had ever showed him so far.

How could he? Sure, Bleach had been slightly disturbed by seeing the painting in the charity event but it hadn't been anything serious; in a couple of minutes – maybe not even that – she was back to her usual self. But now… now she seemed broken; shattered even. Why?

"I can't go through that again. I was Cressar's pet, but I won't be yours too."

And, just like that, Illumi got his answer. And said answer made him livid.

"How dare you compare me to him?" The man demanded, fixing a cold stare on the back of the thief's head; his voice was calm as before, but sharp as a knife. "I never used force to coax you into anything you didn't want to. I never left scars in your body."

"No. You just cornered me into using my body as currency in order to do me a favour." Bleach shot back, eyes burning with renewed anger as she glared at the assassin. "You just used your Nen to take from me my free will and turn me into a puppet. And when I fought back, you almost killed me, just so you could keep playing. You didn't leave scars in my body; you left them in my brain."

Illumi's annoyance lessened slightly as a twisted sort of satisfaction bubbled in the assassin's chest at the woman's admittance that he had left his mark on her. A mark much deeper than the ones she bared on her skin.

At the same time, something akin to guilt pinched him.

"I never took pleasure in hurting you." Illumi tried again, voice losing some of its edge. "I manipulated you, but that's just what we humans do. We manipulate one another so people will attend to our demands. Tell me you wouldn't have done the same if it meant saving your precious Gon. Tell me you wouldn't have as much as considered using a stranger if it meant saving him from the pain of turning in that thing. Tell me you wouldn't have _killed_ for him."

Bleach's eyes widened and she opened her moth to protest, but no words managed to left her.

"See? We fight to protect what is ours. And I've fought to protect you. Remember it was me that saved your life from that dark guardian of yours; more than once." Illumi continued, daring to take a short step in the stunned woman's direction. "I saved you from that Guardian of Shadows twice already, and I would do it a third time if needed. I don't want to hurt you. The few times I did were because I was trying to protect my Killu, not because I wanted to. I told you before: I enjoy making you feel good, Bleach. Not the other way around-"

There was some frank exaggeration and deceitfulness in the assassin's speech, but for the life of her, Bleach couldn't pinpoint where exactly. She just remained there, in absolute silence, watching the man approach her slowly, until he was standing right in front of her, with his hands laid gently on her face.

"-How can you compare me to Cressar? How can you compare what we do _together_ to what he did to you?"

Not able to bear with the intensity of Illumi's gaze, Bleach turned her head to the side, averting her eyes.

And settling them back on the painting.

" _Looking away won't help you, my pet. I know you're here with me, feeling in your soul everything I do to you."_

The comforting feel of Illumi's hands on her cheeks turned cruel as the woman's mind was flooded by memories of Cressar's own hands grabbing and pulling, scratching and hitting, pushing and invading.

The woman was so lost in her own thoughts that she didn't notice Illumi leave the room as soon as he understood where exactly her mind was at the moment.

However, when a needle flew close to her head and lodged itself on the forehead of the man in the painting, she jumped in fright.

Startled, the thief turned around in a blink of an eye, only to find Illumi standing behind the couch, with dozens of his yellow-ended needles plucked in the furniture's back support.

"You once told me you had never used any kind of needles in your life." The man spoke in an amiable voice. "I think this would be the perfect time for you to learn the basics of throwing these ones, don't you agree?"

Blech stared wide-eyed at the man standing behind the couch, just as a deer caught in the headlights. Illumi easily sustained her stare, regarding her with unusually reassuring eyes.

"Come on. We do have the perfect target for practice."

Alarm bells start to ring alarmingly loud in Bleach's head – as they always did when Illumi was present – but she ignored them completely – as she sometimes did when Illumi was present – and as if in a trance, took slow steps around the couch and towards the assassin, until they were standing right in front of one another.

Illumi put a soft smile on his lips and raised his hand in front of the woman's face, offering her the rounded end of one needle. Never moving her eyes from his, Bleach took the needle in her hand, holding it between her thumb and forefinger.

Immediately, the man's long fingers laid on her hand, gently manoeuvring her own.

"Let's start with your grip."

"What's wrong with it?" Bleach teased, not able to help herself. "You have always enjoyed my grip."

There was a brief twitch of amusement and relief in Illumi's lips. It seemed he didn't need to worry so much about his grandfather's future actions regarding him; Bleach hadn't been broken.

_Of course not. She is made of much sturdier material._

"Well, one can always improve. Now, this is how you should hold the needle…"

* * *

A couple of hours later, the moonlight was slowly being replaced by the warm and orange hues of dawn. Meanwhile, the face of the male figure in The Kiss had been completely replaced by a wall of yellow circles of metal.

Behind the couch, Bleach held the last needle between her fingers, just as Illumi had taught her to.

"I don't think there's room for another one in his face." Illumi commented, staring at their masterpiece from his place on the couch.

The needle flew towards the painting anyway, lodging itself far beneath the man's face, where his crotch was supposed to be.

"I wasn't aiming for his face."

The assassin smirked in amusement as he languidly stood up and walked towards the painting so he could retrieve his needles from it. He couldn't deny the startle that caused his muscles to tense when Bleach practically materialized by his side, reaching out to help him remove the needles from the painting and the wall behind it. He didn't think he'd ever get used to the woman's stealth.

Both worked in silence until the only needle left was the one lodged on the crotch of the painting's man. Illumi retrieved that needle and offered it to Bleach.

"Keep this one." The man spoke. "If you ever feel Cressar close to you again, you know exactly where to aim it."

"On the crotch of a cheap substitute for a dead shit?" Bleach spoke with an acid smile, taking the needle in her hand.

"Cheap?" Illumi echoed, proceeding to remove the remains of The Kiss from the wall. "In an auction, this painting would cost as much as a Greed Island game."

"Not anymore."

"Not anymore." The assassin conceded with a short nod. "And certainly not after I burn it to ashes in the bathroom."

"Want me to do it?" Bleach offered, summoning Foog's chakrams in her hands.

"It's alright. I have a lighter with me." Illumi spoke, to which Bleach raised an inquisitive eyebrow, encouraging him to elaborate. "Nothing is a better ice-breaker with a smoker than a having a light to offer them to lit their cigarettes. And you'd be surprised at how many of my targets are smokers."

"Should've known. You're prepared for just about anything." The thief sighed, allowing her chakrams to disappear. "In this case I'm going to try and get some rest before our train. We still have a couple of hours before leaving to the station right?"

"About one hour and an half." Illumi answered. "Take the bed. I'll sleep on the couch."

Bleach's eyes widened and she reflexively opened her mouth to… protest? Thank him?

"Just do it, Bleach."

The thief's mouth snapped shut at the tired edge in the assassin's voice and she responded with a single nod of agreement.

Illumi nodded back at her and turned around to walk into the bathroom. With his hand on the doorknob, just before he could open the door, Bleach called his name. Softly, hesitantly and warmly.

He didn't hesitate in turning around to look at her and couldn't deny the sudden surge of desire at finding her there, standing awkwardly on the other side of the bed, dressed in his large clothes and blushing slightly as she tried her best to keep eye contact with him. All he wanted to do was undress her slowly and lay her on the bed so he could prove to her, as many times as she wanted, just how different from Cressar he truly was.

Instead, he stood still and stared back at her with his large and intense black eyes, waiting patiently for her to say what she wanted to.

"Thank you."

It was all the reassurance he needed that everything he had done was worth it. Finding a job that overruled his grandfather's contract and forcing Bleach to spend time with him, dealing with the woman's everlasting resistance against him and her unpredictable emotions, and most likely risking deepening even more the tension between him and his family… In the end, it was all worth it, because he had succeeded. He created a gap in the woman's defences; one that would allow him to use her once again to find Killu and Alluka.

But he knew that objective was far in the future. He knew she was speaking the truth when she said she had taken precautions to keep his brother's whereabouts a secret from him, even if he directly manipulated her. But Illumi was a patient man; he could bide his time.

Meanwhile, even without Nen, he could use her to return balance to his family; after all, she was rather close to his Kallu, not to mention she had his grandfather's sympathy. While he had been drifting away, Bleach was drifting towards them and he was sure that, if he played his cards right, she could become some sort of common ground between the three of them, strengthening their ties. Also-

When the woman turned her head to glare at the wall in embarrassment, Illumi's eyes quickly racked down her figure. Even covered as she was, she was tempting him.

-he would deeply enjoy strengthening their own ties once again. And he was sure she'd give him many chances to do so in a very near future.

"You're _very_ welcomed."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, what do you think about the chapter? Lots of relationship development between those two becaus of The Kiss. ;)
> 
> And I sure hope you didn't see all of this coming. I really wanted it to be a surprise. =.=
> 
> Anyway, I hope it was a believable development for them and that you enjoyed it! (despite the long wait)
> 
> Kisses,  
> RedVoid


	55. Hotel California

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is anyone reading the HxH manga?! OMG, Togashi, what are you doing to me?! O.o

 

The train ride back to Padokea was rather uneventful.

Since it was only a 3-hour ride, there were no cabins for passengers in the train, only booths with two cushioned sofas in front of each other that fit two people each. Illumi chose to buy the four seats of a booth so both he and Bleach could have the space for themselves and enjoy the comfort of having a bit more of privacy by closing the sliding door that allowed them into the hallway.

All they did with that privacy was sleep.

Despite intending to get a couple of hours of sleep before their train departed, neither had managed to do so. The events of the night were still too fresh in their minds for either of them to relax and rest.

Because of that, as soon as they put their small luggage away in the upper compartment of their cabin, both sat down in each bench – Bleach actually curled herself up to lie down in hers – and closed their eyes.

Bleach fell asleep in a matter of minutes, while Illumi kept part of his brain awake, attentive to their surroundings as his life as an assassin had taught him to do. He could feel that Bleach's sleep wasn't as deep as it usually was inside the safety of a bedroom, but it was still not light enough for her to react properly before the danger was at the door of their booth.

_She really should fix that._

Illumi opened his eyes slightly, sneaking a peak of the woman lying in front of him. Her head was falling over her shoulder in an awkward position that would undoubtedly give her neck pains once she woke up.

Without hesitating, Illumi stood up from his place and reached up to retrieve their larger handbag; he could get one of the plastic bags filled with clothes inside it for Bleach to use as a pillow.

"What are you doing?"

The assassin's shoulders tensed slightly at the drowsy voice coming from behind him. He was surprised that Bleach had woken with his movement; after all, he was almost as quiet as she was.

_Guess she's not as dead to the world as I first thought._

"I was about to retrieve something for you to use as a pillow." Illumi answered, lowering empty hands so he could turn around and look at Bleach. "You'll get neck pains if you sleep in that position."

Bleach regarded him for some seconds with tired eyes before sitting up and patting the spot by her side, inviting Illumi to sit there with her. Not one to waste one of the very rare opportunities he had to get closer to the woman, the assassin obliged to her silent request, watching her curiously and wondering about her intentions - _anticipating_ them.

The woman's lips twitched in a brief resemblance of one of her trademark smirks before her head descended on the assassin's lap.

Illumi had to control himself not to tense slightly at the motion, immediately associating it to a less than adequate practice to be performed in the booth of a train, where anyone could walk in on them.

But, of course, Bleach's intentions didn't correspond to his expectations and, instead of doing any of the dirty things that were running rampant in Illumi's mind – and hers too, if we're to be honest –, she simply laid her head on the man's thigh, using it as her pillow.

"That's better." She breathed out, closing her eyes once again.

Illumi sighed internally, somewhat disappointed with the woman.

_What did I expect? For her to blow me right here in the booth after all that went down with her last night?_

Pushing the fact that yes, that was _exactly_ what he had expected to the back of his mind, Illumi closed his eyes and dropped his hand atop the woman's head, soothingly scratching her scalp.

"Hmmm…" Bleach moaned approvingly as she snuggled in his thigh. "Keep doing that."

Before the assassin could retort, one of her hands dropped from the sofa and fell on his ankle, teasing the skin that his current green, oriental-style outfit left bare to the world. If that's how she wanted to play, then he really had no choice but to abide to her terms.

"As you wish."

* * *

"So, we're going to your home now?"

Bleach and Illumi were walking side by side through the train station hallways, moving towards the exit.

"Yes. I need to report the success of our mission and you need to meet up with Tsubone so she can be certain I didn't put any needles on you this time." Illumi answered. "I just need to call one of my butlers to pick us up."

As Bleach watched the man raise his cell phone to his ear, a frown made its way to her lips and she felt like hitting herself for it. She should be smiling in absolute joy and relief that the mission was over and she could finally put some distance between the two of them. She managed to avoid the bastard's advances – _well, kind of_ – and had successfully returned "home" with a sane mind that should've been thrilled that she hadn't given in to the assassin.

Instead, said mind was screaming at her to slam the phone out of the man's hand and drag him to the closest hotel, which was not one block away.

_Fuck you, smart businessmen! Building your hotels at a practical distance from train stations and airports!_

Not really thinking straight, Bleach gave in to her urge and pulled the phone out of Illumi's hand – which he allowed of course – before locking its screen.

"Something wrong?" The assassin asked, even though he understood exactly what was going on. Truth be told, he hadn't even hit the dial button before raising the phone to his ear, anticipating that Bleach would try and stop him.

"Nothing wrong. I'm just… tired." Bleach answered, staring at anywhere but the man by her side. "I'm really not up to dealing with Tsubone right now. Can't we get some rest first?"

Illumi smirked victoriously on the inside, while shrugging nonchalantly on the outside. "Of course. Should we go to your place?"

Bleach tensed. _No fucking way in hell he's entering my apartment. It's already bad enough that I decided to fuck him, but to take him "home"? Nu-huh. I draw the fucking line there!_

"Actually, I was thinking about the hotel close to the station." The thief spoke. "It's a five-star one. 80 floors. World-wide famous."

The assassin's internal smirk dropped slightly but he agreed with the woman nonetheless. Maybe the settings would be a little different from what he had hoped for, but he could make it work. A hotel room was a bit more impersonal than the woman's actual bedroom – which, he had to admit, he was quite looking forward to seeing – but it was still a good place for them to pick up the… physical part of their unconventional relationship.

* * *

"The perks of having a Hunter's License never cease to please me." Bleach announced as she marched inside their suite. The one she and Illumi had been allowed to use for free thanks to their licenses. "This place is even better than the hotel you got us for the mission."

Illumi followed Bleach into the room, closed the door quietly behind him and proceeded to take in his surroundings.

The bedroom itself wasn't exaggeratedly large, but it was wide enough to fit a king-sized bed at its end. Between the bed and the entrance door was a small lounge area with a red leather sofa and two matching armchairs that all but begged for a lap dance. This furniture was surrounding a ceiling-hanging fireplace that was currently unlit, but held great promise for future winter nights. The floor was of a fine and dark mahogany wood that was covered in the lounge and bed areas by rich red carpets.

The wall at the left was filled with wide windows that proportioned a beautiful view of the mountains surrounding Padokea. If one wished to see the streets below, they'd have to walk rather close to the window and even then they wouldn't be able to see them well. The bedroom was in the 79th floor, after all.

On the right wall, there was a pair of engraved doors that lead into the bathroom. According to the receptionist, every bathroom above the 75th floor was equipped with hot tubs surrounded by electric candles, as well as separated double showers with seats. Both the hot tub and showers, Illumi was sure, would be put to very good use one day - maybe this very one.

"I have to agree with you, lovely. Being a Hunter has very nice perks."

Standing in front of the door, the assassin watched Bleach move to the night table by the bed and take hold of the remote lying in there, using it to descend the electronic blackout curtains of the bedroom's windows, as well as set a dim lighting in the bedroom, especially around the bed.

**LEMON STARTS NOW.**

Once satisfied with the settings, Bleach turned a smouldering gaze to Illumi as a teasing smirk pulled at the corners of her mouth. Without a word, she stalked towards him and the man couldn't help but stare at her, taking in every curve her simple jeans and form-fitting jacket allowed him to see and using his memory to supply for what they hid from him. Bleach did the same, shamelessly roaming her eyes up and down Illumi's figure as he bent down to leave his handbags at the floor – but not before retrieving a pack of condoms from the smaller one and throwing it on the mattress across the room from him. She was appreciating how his green attire was skin-tight on the chest area – she wondered a bit if he hadn't been cold before entering the hotel, since he wasn't even wearing a jacket – and pouting at the long cloth that hung from his waist, hiding the shape of his legs from her.

"I don't think you'll be needing this." Bleach commented in a husky voice, immediately putting her hands on the assassin's hips to untie the band that was holding that offending piece of cloth in place.

"What else won't I be needing?" Illumi urged, eyes fixed on the feminine hands slipping beneath his top.

"This… shirt? Or whatever." Bleach answered promptly, slowly pushing her hands up the man's torso, enjoying the feel of hard muscle beneath her palms. "I don't know what it is exactly, but it seems fucking uncomfortable for someone who's about to "rest"."

"It is." Illumi agreed in a purr, helping the woman pull the clothing over his head and then proceeding to remove his green slip-on sleeves.

As he did so, the thief was already behind him, hands moving up and down his back with delight, pressing on his hard muscles with just enough force to help them relax. Then, it was her mouth caressing the skin of his back, trailing kisses from the juncture of his shoulder and neck down to his spine, right between his shoulder blades. Her hands, of course, never stopped moving and went straight to the front of his torso; up to feel his pectorals and rub his nipples, then down his hard abdomen to tease the skin of his pelvis, just above the waistband of his pants.

Just when the assassin was about to voice some sort of encouragement for the woman to move those skilful hands of her further down, they slipped beneath his trousers on their own accord, immediately finding his erection and stroking it with purpose.

"Hmm… Already getting hard." Bleach murmured in a deliciously husky voice. "I like it."

"I aim to please." Illumi retorted in an equally aroused tone, hooking his thumbs on the waistband of his pants. "You most of all."

With that, the assassin pushed his pants and underwear down his lean hips and thick thighs until they reached his knees. Then they fell the rest of the way on their own, allowing him to step out of them, leaving his shoes tangled with the fabric.

Meanwhile, Bleach's breath hitched as she appreciated the man's firm backside. Then, with equal interest she watched the strong muscles of his legs and torso flex as he slowly turned around to face her and stretch his arms above his head, giving her a nice – if short-lived – spectacle that made her even wetter than she already was. Licking her lips, the woman went closer to Illumi and laid her hands on his hips, rubbing her thumbs on the skin just above his very hard, very erect cock as her lips started to plant sloppy kisses on the skin of his chest. His own hands laid on her butt, pulling her firmly to him, pressing her centre to his erection as he moved his hips into her, rubbing himself against her in a delicious way that made both struggle to keep from moaning.

The woman was just about to start sliding down the man's body, ready to give him the attention he seemed so eager to receive, when his hands trailed up her chest and to her shoulders so he could push the jacket from her frame.

"You won't need this either." Illumi whispered in her ear before taking his time to suckle on her sensitive earlobe, pulling a sigh of approval from her lips. "As a matter of fact, you're wearing entirely too much clothing to "rest"."

"Why don't you sit on the bed and I'll take care of it." The thief more stated than offered, already pulling the man by the hand to lead him to the bed.

Illumi followed her and sat down on the mattress without complaints, surprising Bleach at how compliant he was behaving, following her commands and giving her free-reign to touch him as she pleased.

"Someone's being a good boy today." Bleach teased as she pulled her shirt over her head and reached behind herself for the clasp of her bra.

"Well, I did say you'd be the one to take me to bed, didn't I?" Illumi began from his place sitting at the foot of the bed, and smirked when the woman's eyes zeroed on his lips. "But now that you have-"

The assassin's hands suddenly shot out and grabbed Bleach's hips, making her yelp in startle as he pulled her closer with such velocity she had to let go of her still hooked bra and lay her hands on his shoulders to keep herself from stumbling into him.

"-I guess I'm allowed to take a more proactive role."

Bleach didn't respond as Illumi's hands slowly made their way up her arms, leaving a trail of gooseflesh all over her skin. Instead, she licked her lips again and entwined her hands into the man's silky hair, scratching sensually his scalp as his own deft fingers skilfully unclasped her bra. She looked down at the man with burning eyes that all but begged him to keep going.

Eyes at the level of her throat , he tilted his head back, staring back at her with equal want, reassuring her with gaze alone that he had no intentions whatsoever of stopping and would keep going until both couldn't take it anymore.

"I missed those." Illumi purred, allowing his orbs to look forward instead of up so he could properly appreciate Bleach's still covered breasts. Slowly, he pulled each strap of her bra off her shoulders and let the garment fall to the floor between their feet, revealing the woman's perky nipples to his gaze. "I really, _really_ did."

Bleach couldn't help but moan low in her throat when she was pulled even closer so she was standing in-between the assassin's thighs with her breasts pressing against his face. Illumi, of course, wasted no time and immediately started licking and kissing at the soft flesh, slowly making his way to one nipple before giving it teasing licks and kisses. Then, he sucked the pink morsel into his mouth hard, making a loud gasp leave the woman's mouth as she used her hold on his scalp to press his face even harder against her chest.

As his mouth feasted on Bleach's breast, Illumi's hands travelled from her waist to the front of her jeans and he promptly unbuttoned it and slid down its zipper, allowing his fingers to comfortably slid beneath the rough fabric and freely tease the woman's sex through her panties. Her red, lace panties; the ones he had bought for her and were already dripping wet because of him.

Then, that flimsy piece of was also pushed to the side, allowing the skilled fingers of his right hand direct access to her clit and he wasted no time in making good use of it.

"Fuck." Bleach gasped, feeling a scoring heat pool in her lower abdomen when those fingers started to tease her so wonderfully. "And I _really_ missed those."

Illumi's mouth made an arousing popping sound as it let go of the woman's nipple, only to trail wet kisses up her clavicle and neck, settling on a spot on her jaw, just beneath her chin. Meanwhile, his left hand went to the woman's backside, sliding beneath her pants to give her butt a firm squeeze.

"Did you now?"

The man's right hand started to work double pace on her clit and Bleach felt her knees tremble beneath her.

She also felt the assassin's other hand give her butt one last squeeze before trailing up her body to settle gently on her cheek and she couldn't keep herself from turning her head towards it and catching his thumb inside her mouth, suckling and biting on it in a way that made Illumi clench his jaw in want.

"F-Fuck _… Illumi_. Let's… Ah!"

Bleach's breathy voice and gasps combined with the taunting bites she left on his thumb were enough to make him impatient.

"Let's." The man agreed to the unspoken offer, his hands immediately stopping what they were doing to make quick work of pulling Bleach's pants down to her feet, leaving her to step out of them and her shoes, much as he did before.

As she did so, he laid down and stretched his arms above his head to retrieve the package of condoms he had thrown on the mattress earlier. Sitting up once again, Illumi immediately tore the package open and took one of its unitary packets in his hands. Eyes fixed on the woman in front of him, watching the smallest of her movements, the assassin slid the condom down his cock quickly and with absolute precision.

He watched with smouldering eyes as, only clad in her socks and panties, Bleach turned her back to him and bent her body to slide the red lace down her legs, giving him a mouth-watering view of her ass that made his erection twitch in his hands. Without hesitation, Illumi embraced the woman's hips as soon as she was finished taking off her panties and pulled her to him once again, making her let out yet another startled yelp.

"Fuck. How many times are you going to pull me like that?" Bleach whined, glaring half-heartedly over her shoulder in annoyance.

That glare was soon replaced by a dreamy glint in her orbs when Illumi bit gently on the firm flesh of one of her butt cheeks before moving up to nip her hip, and then kiss the scars on her lower back. As his mouth kept busy, his hands slowly moved up Bleach's abdomen and reached her breasts, sparing some moments to massage the two mounds, feeling their weight and softness before pulling the woman gently to sit on his lap.

The thief didn't waste a second before starting to sensuously undulate her hips, rubbing her backside against the assassin's erection as her left hand laid atop Illumi's, helping him massage her breast, and the right went down to the juncture between her thighs to touch herself, to touch _him_.

"Turn around." Illumi whispered the command in Bleach's ear, using that soft voice that sent tingles down her scalp and spine. "I want to look at you."

_I'll have you looking at me._

Bleach nodded, and the assassin prepared himself to flip them over as soon as Bleach was facing him-

Not that having the woman on his lap was unpleasant or anything, but he was the one who got to be on top. He should be the one to give Bleach absolute pleasure, not the other way around.

-but sometimes even he has got to compromise.

Especially when the woman on his lap grabbed his shoulders firmly and started to ride him hard and good as soon as she sat down on his cock, providing for a mouth-watering vision of half-lidded eyes, flushed cheeks, gasping mouth and bouncing breasts.

Instinctively, Illumi's hands went directly to the latest, cupping them as his thumbs went to rub their rosy nipples. The feeling of those soft globes slamming on his palms and the delicious sensations the woman bouncing up and down his cock was bringing him could only be improved by one thing:

"Kiss me."

At once, the pleasure was replaced by shock in Bleach's face, her body halted its mind-blowing dance, becoming still and tense over Illumi's lap, and he couldn't help but internally curse himself for allowing those two words to leave his mouth.

Of course, Bleach wouldn't kiss him so soon; she wasn't stupid and had most likely figured out that he had first put one of his needles in her during their first kiss. Not only that, she gave a special meaning to the action, associating it to romantic feelings that she wanted nothing more than to disassociate from him. The thief was undoubtedly under the self-constructed illusion that what they were doing at the moment was nothing more than sex – _not even sex; "fucking"_ _is the word she must be using_ – and doing everything in her power to avoid associating any sort of emotions to the act. He would have to work his way much deeper inside her defences before he could even entertain the idea of asking for a kiss from the woman.

And he was absolutely right. If Bleach had her way, they'd never kiss or cuddle again – _fuck that shit; this is the last time we fuck at all_ – but the fact that he had _asked_ for a kiss instead of trying to force one upon her gave the woman pause. Maybe the assassin hadn't realized it, but he had just given her what she most valued in life: freedom of choice; and damn if it didn't make her want to kiss the life out of him. However, he could also be trying to manipulate her again. He knew how much she valued being able to choose what came next and that request could be just his way of crawling under her skin; and that made her want to _throttle_ the life out of him.

Not knowing how to proceed, both stared at each other with large eyes, expecting… something.

Illumi opted for doing some damage control and allow Bleach to take the lead in the matter; it was always the best choice for such delicate situations, lest she could feel cornered and flee. Meanwhile, Bleach tried to figure out just what the assassin meant by that request and how exactly she felt about it.

Finally, Bleach took action. Allowing a small sigh to leave her lips, the woman closed her arms around the man's neck, pulling herself closer to him, until their chests were softly pressing together and her cheek was glued to his.

"No." The thief whispered in Illumi's ear just as her hips started to move again. Softer this time, undulating slowly and sensually over his. "No kissing."

Illumi allowed a small sigh to leave him as well and wasn't certain if it was more out of relief or frustration. Still, he encircled Bleach with his arms, one hand crawled up to her shoulder, the other went down to her lower back; and both pressed the woman's frame just a bit tighter to him.

"No kissing." Illumi agreed softly in her ear.

"Good…" She breathed out and, from the way her hips picked up speed, Illumi was rather certain that word had nothing to do with his agreeing to her terms. But who was he to say anything when his own breathing was becoming heavier by the thrust. "V-Very good."

As the words left her mouth, he started moving his hips, thrusting them upwards in tempo with Bleach's, stealing a moan from her. Once they had a nice pace going on, Illumi reached for Bleach's right hand, bringing it down to his lips so he could plant a languorous kiss on the woman's palm before pushing it further down.

"Here." The man whispered as he pressed the feminine hand against its owner's sex, urging her to rub her clit with her nimble fingers. "Touch yourself."

Bleach eagerly followed his command, something that deeply satisfied the assassin. And, with a peck of approval on the woman's cheek, he changed the position of his hands once again, this time taking a firm hold of the woman's hips so he could contribute even more to their dance, guiding Bleach as she bounced on his lap hard and fast once again. Only, this time, her body was all pressed up against his, replacing his spectacular view for the just as stimulating sensation of her breasts rubbing up-and-down his chest, of her right hand briefly touching his cock every time he pulled out of her while her other hand clang to him, wrapped around his neck.

"Ah! _Illumi_. F-Fuck. That's too good."

There were also those breathy and almost needy moans that managed to struggle their way past the thief's plump lips. Those were just-

"I'm so- ah! – so _close_."

"Then come for me, Bleach. Don't hold back. I want to feel you clenching all around me as I come for you too."

"Oh, fuck- _Yes_."

-just enough to push him over the edge.

Allowing a low moan of his own to grace Bleach's ear, Illumi pulled her down on him three more times, thrusting as deeply as possible inside her as she clenched around him just like he had told her to. And, a man of his word, the assassin fulfilled the end of his bargain, allowing himself to reach his climax just as she did hers.

Thoroughly satisfied and relaxed by his orgasm, he let himself fall back on the bed, pulling the woman with him to enjoy the weight and warmth of her body pressing against him for a little while longer.

"Hmmm…" Bleach whispered teasingly in his ear, sending delicious tingles down his spine. "Talk about good timing."

"We never lacked that, lovely."

With that, Illumi dared to kiss Bleach's temple, pausing for some moments to breathe in her scent before gently urging her off him. Despite wanting nothing more than to bask in that post-coital cuddling the woman was always so receptive to, he had an used condom to dispose of.

Bleach rolled to the side lazily so she was lying belly up on the mattress, watching through half-lidded eyes as an upside-down Illumi stood up from the bed and mechanically pulled the condom from his still half-erect cock, careful not to let a single drop of his semen stain the floor. She watched the muscles of his arms flex as he quickly tied a knot at the end of the used condom before walking to the small garbage bin close to the bed - which she hadn't even noticed existed until then – and disposing of it.

All the while, the thief knew she should be getting to her feet as well; she had had her fill and now was time to put some clothes on and take off to never see the man again.

But the woman still wanted to lounge in that soft, soft bed, appreciating the movements of Illumi's delicious body and staring at those black eyes of his boring down on her with that controlled and yet intense desire only he was capable of.

"Another round?"

The man's soft voice reached her ears just as he sat down on the bed, close to her side so their bodies were touching and he could easily caress any part of her body with his hand. First, his fingers were on her neck, then her breasts. Then they were moving on to ghost over her firm abdomen, making gooseflesh sprout all over her skin, before trailing further down to her still a bit too-sensitive clit.

"Ah!" Bleach gasped, closing her eyes in pleasure as her whole body went limp. "Ok."

Illumi smirked at the woman's reaction. It was always rewarding when she gave in to him without struggle, allowing herself to forget her surroundings and dive into the limbo of pleasure only he could bring her.

But the thief's stupor of pleasure lasted only a moment. Next thing Illumi knew, one of her hands was wrapped around his cock and pumping it expertly, not allowing it to be anything but hard for her.

Illumi couldn't help but exhale heavily at that; Bleach's attentions were quick to have him once again completely erect in her hand. And, in response, he increased the speed of his fingers until they were practically vibrating over the woman's clit, making her gasp and tremble before him, even as her own hand doubled its pace. Repeatedly.

It didn't take long for both to reach completion one more time but, as soon as they did, Bleach, flushed and panting as she was and with her hand sticky with the man's semen, found it in herself to give Illumi one of her teasing, teasing smirks.

"Another round?"

The assassin answered by pouncing her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked the chapter and that the lemon was decently written. XD
> 
> Kisses,  
> RedVoid
> 
> PS: the title is a reference to the song from The Eagles because... well, it's a great song. XD And it does hold some relation to the chapter.


	56. All Is Well When It Ends Well -Or Not

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone!
> 
> I'm sorry about the delay in posting this chapter. Truth be told, I wanted to have this uploaded a couple of weeks ago., but... well, don't kill me for what I'm about to say, but I kind of put this story on hold in favour of a game. =.=
> 
> I bought Dragon Age Inquisition a couple of weeks ago and wasn't able to stop playing it until a couple of days ago (when I beat the game =.=), so it kind of consumed all of my free time XP
> 
> Well, I hope this chapter makes up for it :D

 It fell on the same butler to go and pick up Bleach and Illumi from the train station and alreadyhe dreaded what he was about to witness. Even though he had raised a dark-tinted glass between himself and the couple on the back seat, the butler was watching the whole exchange between them through a hidden camera, by Zeno's orders of course-

" _Don't interfere or anything. Just observe them; compare the differences in their behaviour towards each other on the way back. Hopefully this mission will establish some sort of truce between them."_

-And the butler had to be blind not to see the thick tension surrounding those two on the ride to the train station. It wasn't even that veiled tension you feel when walking into a room with people that clearly don't like each other but made no attempt to outwards show it. Oh no, the tension between Bleach and Illumi was like a gas leakage: it had a distinctive smell that made it astoundingly easy for anyone to notice it was there and it would only increase in pressure with the passing of time, until it was high enough to cause an explosion.

Apparently, said explosion occurred sometime during the couple's mission for, as a bomb defused, the tension that remained around the two of them was nothing like the one of before. It was thin and tired, as if both knew it should be there but didn't bother to acknowledge it anymore.

_Zeno-sama will be happy to know this._

The inhabitants of the Zoldyck compound – butlers included – all liked to remind themselves that Bleach wasn't a member of the family, that, despite the especial protection Zeno extended her, she wasn't actually important. She was expendable, just like all of the other employees.

But that was not so. In her essence, she wasn't at all like all the butlers in the house.

The thief and her relationships with the family made her something more than just a simple employee; she was close friends with Killua and Alluka, she had a superficial but amicable relationship with Zeno and she was becoming friends with Kalluto. And she held a high ranking in Illumi's list of personal interests.

Yes, she was expendable, but she wasn't _replaceable_.

That made Bleach a perfect piece in the passive-aggressive power play between Illumi and his father and grandfather. She was unique enough that her existence was considered valuable – at least for the moment – but unimportant enough that she could be sacrificed for the greater good of the family.

She was a sort of symbol of the changes taking place in the household. Her continued presence in the household was the perfect reminder that things aren't as they were before; changes, even if just slight ones, were happening in the household. And keeping her alive was Zeno and Silva's – and Kikyo's, to some degree – way of telling Illumi he couldn't run the family as he saw fit; he had no right to control any of the Zoldycks for he was still just a son in the family.

On the other hand, if Illumi found a way to overcome Zeno's restrictions and manipulate the woman – or even just harm her– without repercussions he would obtain a symbolic victory that could very well become a practical one. The woman was important enough to hold some sort of influence the Zoldycks – some more than others – and using her could very well increase Illumi's own influence over them.

_Kalluto-sama is still in a rather impressionable age._

Not only that but, judging from the animosity from the couple of days before, Illumi was in a very good position to taunt the woman to the point of _her_ breaking the conditions in Zeno's contract and attacking him. It would be another way for the Manipulator to win, for it would prove he was right in resisting the family's acceptance towards the woman's presence in their home; that he was right in resisting change itself. And all he had to do to obtain this small victory was strain his relationship with the thief a bit more, feed the tension until she snapped.

But now that tension was gone and, as far as the butler could tell from the tired indifference between the two on the backseat, both were safe and sound, which meant no rules had been broken during the mission. Maybe, if luck allowed it, they had reached some sort of status quo that could bring a small peace to the Zoldyck household. If Bleach ceased to be a symbol of change in Illumi's eyes there was no reason for him to try and overrule his grandfather and father's orders just to prove a point and, while not being nearly enough to fix all the problems and bring peace back to the household, it would undoubtedly help. And any help would be very welcome.

_It has been a long time since my masters have experienced true stability. Since Killua-sama went away I believe. Maybe even before._

Stability. That was the key word.

Some in the Zoldyck compound thought of the thief as a problem and wanted her gone while others found her presence a much needed breathe of fresh air. Regardless, they all wanted that same one thing that could mean the end of the personal crisis the family had been going through since Killua left them.

The butler spared another glance at the couple on the backseat. They were sitting on opposite ends of the seat, both staring out the window; the thief pointedly so, while Illumi allowed his eyes to occasionally wander away from the scenery outside and settle on the thief's unmoving form for some seconds before returning to their original focus.

The butler noticed that every time his master's gaze wandered to the thief she tensed slightly, as if the man had reached out and touched her. And not in an unpleasant way.

_Oh. I see now-_

**" _Don't you fucking touch me."_**

**" _I won't. Unless it's essential to the mission. Or until you ask me to."_**

**" _That is never going to happen."_**

**" _I disagree with you. It will happen. Maybe not today or tomorrow, but it will. And it will feel so good."_**

_-just how that tension was relieved._

* * *

 

"This is where we part ways."

"Thank gods!" Bleach let out, turning her back to the butlers' quarters so she could regard Illumi with her trademark smirk. "I thought this long-awaited moment would never come."

"Oh, your moment came alright." The assassin retorted with a bored expression. "Multiple times as far as I remember."

"Shut the fuck up." The thief snapped, smirk quickly overcame by a scowl. "Don't you have anywhere else to go?"

"As a matter of fact, I do." Illumi agreed and, to Bleach's confusion, raised his arm in front of him, offering her his hand. "Until next time."

Fake brown eyes stared at pitch black ones before dropping to the outstretched appendage and then rising up again. The motion was repeated many times before the woman settled to glare at the offending hand inviting her for a handshake.

"What exactly am I supposed to do with this?"

"Shake it." Illumi answered in an amicable voice. "As friends do when parting ways."

There was no keeping the white eyebrow from raising impossibly high in Bleach's forehead as she stared at Illumi as if he had grown a second head. Taking into account his Nen abilities, that possibility seemed more realistic than him saying the words he had just said.

"I think I didn't hear you correctly. Did you just say the word _friends_ without any sort of sarcasm and disgust? And without spontaneously combusting or some shit like that?"

"The concept of friendship is becoming so trendy nowadays that I thought I'd give it a try."

"You honestly expect me to believe that?"

"You from all people should know that I can be very flexible when it comes to accommodating my family's needs." Illumi began, allowing his hand to drop to his side. "For now my parents think it would be best if their children expanded their relationships to some selected few outside our family. I'm doing just that."

"Yeah. Well… I don't buy it."

The assassin sighed theatrically and rolled his eyes, feigning annoyance at the very expected reluctance the woman was showing.

"Just humour me then." He proposed, raising his hand once again. "Shake my hand."

Bleach actually took a step back, eyeing the offending appendage as if it was poisonous.

"What's the catch." There was no questioning in her words, no doubt whatsoever. She knew in her gut something was up with that request.

"No catch." The man answered easily with a shrug of his shoulders. "I'm just trying to give you a proper farewell."

"And why the fuck would I respond to this _proper farewell_ of yours?"

"Because you'd show you've grown past petty and meaningless retaliation and are secure enough of your capacities to deal with me in stride. That you can overcome senseless fear to keep a civil relationship with one of your _co-workers_."

Illumi smiled internally at the fire that ignited inside the woman's orbs as she took a purposeful step towards him and grabbed his hand in a none-too-gentle grip.

"I'm _not_ afraid of you." Bleach hissed at him, tightening her grip on his hand.

"Good." The assassin answered in a low voice, pulling her closer to him until their faces were almost touching. "This would be no fun otherwise."

Both spent some moments staring at each other – in Bleach's case glaring – when Tsubone's voice reached them, propping both to take a step back and release the other's hand.

"Illumi-sama, I'm happy to see you've arrived. Your mother will be very pleased to hear from you about your success in this mission. She has been talking about it ever since she returned from her own job." The senior butler spoke in a voice that was trained to be respectful.

"Then I better go and tell her soon." Illumi spoke, not moving his eyes from Bleach. "Until next time, lovely."

With that the assassin disappeared from sight, finally breaking eye-contact and allowing the woman to focus on something other than him.

"Thanks for that, Tsubone." Bleach spoke tiredly as she put her hands in her jacket's pockets and turned to stare at the butler. "I thought the bastard was never leaving."

"Maybe if you didn't respond to his taunts Illumi-sama would be more inclined to leave you alone, Bleach." Tsubone offered, turning around to guide Bleach into the quarters.

"I know." The thief agreed as she fell in step with the massive butler. "I just can't help myself. That bastard knows just what strings to pull to get a rise out of me."

"I take the mission, despite successful, didn't go as smoothly as you had hoped?"

"Me? Hoping a job with that bastard would go _smoothly_? Ha! I knew the mission would be hell. And it was." Bleach answered, annoyance already dripping from her voice just from remembering her time with Illumi – _especially_ when remembering how she all but threw herself at him not two hours ago. "Well, at least I don't think the bastard managed to put any needles inside me this time."

_He did put something else though._

"We'll know for certain in a few minutes."

* * *

 

In her body search, Tsubone wouldn't find a single needle marring the woman's skin.

However, if she were to search the thief's jacket, the senior butler would've found a small note inside one of the pockets. One that read:

**Same time, next week**

That was the catch.

* * *

 

There was no _same time, next week_ for Bleach. Using of all the stubbornness she had been born with, the thief held herself from going to that hotel on the "scheduled" date and the following weeks.

Instead, she occupied her time with jobs and training sessions with Kalluto. They helped her not to think about all the possibilities those simple four words and coma presented her.

Training with the youngest Zoldyck was the best possible distraction. Bleach simply couldn't look at the boy and think about Illumi without feeling sick to her stomach, so the times that manipulative bastard invaded her thoughts during their training sessions were few and short-lived, allowing the woman to focus solely on Kalluto and his training.

And it was surprising how fast the boy was evolving.

Before he had to think and plan every action carefully if he wished to succeed; he needed to anticipate every of his target's motions. Now he was able to adapt. If his target moved in an unanticipated pattern the young assassin could easily change his own pattern and follow through with the plan – which varied from shadowing people to stealing very specific items from their purses and pockets. Sure, there were times when the boy found himself retreating to try again after some moments to recompose himself, but they growing increasingly scarcer.

Stealth was growing to be less and less of a mechanical skill and more of natural state for Kalluto and Bleach felt something she hadn't felt for a while now: pride.

* * *

 

"Kalluto, you're doing amazing." Bleach spoke between mouthfuls of ice cream. "I can't barely believe that clumsy boy who depended on shadows and meticulous planning to do anything is now strutting around streets and stealing rings from people's fingers."

"I still have much to learn." Kalluto responded, and Bleach thought she had seen a blush on his cheeks.

"Nevertheless, your progress is something to be proud of. You're even becoming more comfortable when talking to strangers."

The boy tensed and lowered his gaze in something that Bleach could only identify as shame. Embarrassment and humility she could understand, after all Kalluto was never one to brag about his skills, but shame didn't make any sense. Immediately, she opened her mouth to ask the boy what was wrong but he beat her to it.

"Illumi has resumed training me." The young boy admitted. "He is teaching me how to manipulate people. Mom sometimes take part in our training sessions, but it's mostly him."

If Bleach was to be completely honest with herself, she'd admit that the sudden stab she felt on her chest was anger. Anger at Illumi resuming to take part in Kalluto's training just after he found out _she_ was doing that, something that made abundantly clear he did not have the boy's well-being as top-priority. And, of course, there was outrage at the boy's parents for allowing such a bad influence to play such an important role in Kalluto's upbringing.

_What did you expect? The bastard is his brother and that family is all of that 'blood is thicker than water' shit._

However, the thief wasn't about to be completely honest to herself, let alone the already apprehensive boy in front of her, who was anxiously waiting for her response.

"This is… unexpected." Bleach began diplomatically, forcing herself to keep the edge out of her voice. "But it makes sense, I guess. Manipulation is a very useful skill for people like us, and I may hate the bastard but I have to admit: your brother knows how to manipulate people very well." _Too well._

Slowly Kalluto raised his purple eyes back to Bleach. He honestly didn't expect to feel as relieved as he did when he found the woman smirking in amusement at him.

"What? You thought I was going to flip out at you or something?"

"Or something."

"Relax, kid. I understand it." The woman reassured. "Well, not really since I'm past the capacity to understand someone spending time with Illumi on their own free will. Regardless, I think I'll be able to deal with it. And if the bastard tries to hurt you, tell me. That I _know_ I'll deal with."

Once again Bleach thought she saw Kalluto blush for a moment.

"Alright."

The thief gave the boy one last smile and returned her focus to eating her ice cream; it was starting to melt into a puddle inside her bowl and she didn't like it so soft-

"…Illumi asked about you."

-But she could eat ice cream in any consistence if it meant listening to what Kalluto was about to say.

"He wanted to know how you were doing." Kalluto explained. "He asked me to send his regards and give you this." The boy raised an envelope to the woman. "I had it scanned to make sure it wasn't poisoned or contained any sort of device that could harm you. I didn't open but it seems it's only paper and plastic inside."

Bleach furrowed her eyebrows to feign innocent confusion as she retrieved the envelope, even when she felt her anger-o-meter spike dangerously high.

The bastard had some nerve.

Bleach knew what he was doing; using Kalluto's yearning for peace in his home to manipulate him into being his errand boy. And she wanted to make sure the boy understood it so he wouldn't feel betrayed by his brother later on. But she also wanted to spare the boy's feelings, even if it meant leaving him in ignorance regarding Illumi's intentions.

_I'll take it slow._

"How did he sound when he asked of me? What impression did he give you?"

"He sounded nonchalant." Kalluto answered, furrowing his eyebrows in concentration. "As if he couldn't care less if I delivered the envelope to you or not. However, since it's Illumi we're talking about, he was most likely acting like that so I wouldn't feel that he was actually pressuring me to help him contour Grandfather's restrictions regarding him contacting you. He was using my desire for peace in our family to manipulate me in helping him contact you. He knows I wouldn't risk telling on him and contributing to the tension between him and Grandfather for something trivial so he acted as if this envelope meant nothing to him. While I'm certain there's nothing in there that can harm you, I still think it's something of importance."

Bleach's eyes widened in surprise. While she agreed with every single think Kalluto had said, she hadn't believed the boy would've been able to go so far in his suppositions regarding the depth of Illumi's manipulative nature. _Illumi, it seems you're teaching Kalluto far too well._

"And here I thinking I'd have to take it ease with you and be careful when talking about the possibility of Illumi trying to manipulate you. You're easily keeping in stride with me." The thief spoke with a proud smirk that soon gave place to a serious expression. "I just want you to know that the fact that Illumi is a selfish bastard with no boundaries doesn't mean that you're only good enough to be manipulated, Kalluto. You're a great kid and if your brother wants to treat you like that it's his loss."

It was Kalluto's turn to widen his eyes in surprise. He had thought he had hidden rather well the hurt he was feeling at Illumi manipulating him like he had done, and yet Bleach had hit him spot-on with her words.

"Bleach…"

Despite calling her name, the boy said nothing else, making the thief tilt her head to the side and urge him on: "What is it, Kalluto?"

"I…" The boy lowered his gaze from the woman's encouraging orbs, feeling guilt and shame suddenly take over him. The woman wasn't part of his family but she honestly cared about his well-being and it bothered him that he had helped Illumi on something that would most likely complicate her situation. "I know it's not right of me to help Illumi contact you but-"

"It's alright." Bleach cut in. "I know things are still tense in your home. I don't blame you for following through with Illumi's request; it's what you can do to try and defuse some of the tension. If you had denied or gone to Zeno, Illumi would most likely find a way to make it even worse. You made the right call in delivering this to me. I can only thank you for checking the envelope for poisons and whatnot."

"It was the least I could do." The young assassin stated, once again lowering his eyes in shame. "I'm sorry."

"Hey, Kalluto." The woman called, giving the boy a reassuring smile when he raised his eyes to her. "Don't sweat it, kid. I'm not some sort of damsel in distress; I can handle your brother just fine-"

_Not really. But I try my best._

"-so let's just change the subject, alright? You didn't tell me yet how your last mission went."

* * *

 

Only when she was back in her apartment, away from Kalluto's eyes, did Bleach retrieve the envelope. She angrily tore it apart, wishing she could do the same to the person who had sent it to her.

_Fucking bastard has no boundaries, using Kalluto like that. Disgusting._

Suddenly the thief found herself with a small piece of paper that held only one word, written in an elegant handwriting: _Tonight._

In her other hand Bleach held a card case, in which she found the key card to a room in the hotel near the station. The one she had shared with Illumi for a couple of hours. The one she had promised herself never to enter again.

_What does that piece of shit think? That I'll crawl back to him?_

The thief scoffed and without a moment of hesitance crumbled the piece of paper in her hand and threw it over her shoulder. Then she focused on the key card and grabbed the rectangle's opposite ends with each of her hands, ready to break it in half.

" _He was using my desire for peace in our family to manipulate me in helping him contact you."_

" _I know it's not right of me to help Illumi contact you but-"_

" _I'm sorry."_

Bleach immediately loosened her hold on the card. If she ignored Illumi's call this time he'd only torment Kalluto again and again, until the boy could take no more and gave up on his training sessions with her, just so he wouldn't risk damaging the already stained relationships in his family even more.

It was a win-win situation for the bastard: either Bleach went to him like a trained dog, or Kalluto stopped contacting her altogether, aborting the already delicate friendship they had built.

Trembling with anger, Bleach threw the key card at the nearest wall, releasing a frustrated "Fuck!" as she did so.

_You want to meet with me? Fine. But I'll make sure you wished you had never used Kalluto the way you did._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So? How was it? Worth the wai, I hope. XD
> 
> I know Kalluto might seem a bit OOC in this chapter, but I'm considering that so many weeks training with Bleach would make the boy a bit more comfortable and soft when around her. =.=
> 
> Kisses,  
> RedVoid


	57. Kick-Start

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! It has been some time, no? =.=
> 
> I'm really sorry about that... I've been dealing with an annoying author's block with this fic and went on a trip last week, so it took me a long while to finish the chapter. XP
> 
> I hope you all enjoy this one too :)

_Bleach immediately loosened her hold on the card. If she ignored Illumi's call this time he'd only torment Kalluto again and again, until the boy could take no more and gave up on his training sessions with her, just so he wouldn't risk damaging the already stained relationships in his family even more._

_It was a win-win situation for the bastard: either Bleach went to him like a trained dog, or Kalluto stopped contacting her altogether, aborting the already delicate friendship they had built._

_Trembling with anger, Bleach threw the key card at the nearest wall, releasing a frustrated "Fuck!" as she did so._

**_You want to meet with me? Fine. But I'll make sure you wished you had never used Kalluto the way you did._ **

* * *

 

Illumi was prepared for Bleach to perform quite an entrance when she finally arrived to the hotel room. But even so it took him a bit of effort not to flinch at the sudden slamming of the doorknob on a wall that was _not_ preceded by the audible stomping one would expect in such a situation. _Even angry she's silent as a shadow._

"I should just fucking kill you!"

From his place sitting at the foot of the bed, the assassin could feel the woman's Nen spike due to her anger, but not one drop of bloodlust actually managed to make itself known to him. It was expected since he knew for a fact that she was no killer, however he couldn't help but wonder how her bloodlust felt like, and if he would ever feel it.

"Calm down, lovely."

"Don't you fucking tell me to calm down, you piece of shit!" Bleach exploded, slamming the door closed as she stalked towards him with hellfire in her eyes. "How dare you get Kalluto involved in this… _thing_?! Have you no fucking shame?!"

"There is no reason to feel shame." Illumi spoke calmly, hands raised in front of him in mock surrender as he stood up from the bed so he was looking down at the woman glaring pitchforks at him. "We're doing nothing wrong."

"Really? Not even dragging an innocent boy into this filthy mess we have going on with each other? The same one I've been trying to fucking _bury_ for the last couple of weeks?"

"First of all: I'm not dragging Kallu into anything. He'd never open that envelope I sent you and, even if he did, there was nothing insinuating in there-"

"You sent me a hotel key card and a paper with the word _tonight,_ you dumb shit!" Bleach cut off loudly, throwing her hands up in the air. "That's pretty fucking insinuating to me!"

"Assassins usually meet with their clients in hotel rooms. To us, they are more of a conference room than a bedroom." Illumi explained as if it was obvious. "If Kalluto had opened the envelope, he'd think only that I wanted to discuss business with you and maybe try and persuade you to help me locate Killu. As you said, he is still an innocent boy. He'd never find anything sexual in that simple word and key card."

Bleach faltered for a second, but soon enough she was back at screaming at Illumi.

"That still doesn't change the fact that you took advantage of his desire to avoid conflicts in his home and used him as a fucking message boy. Do you honestly think he didn't understand he was just being used? That his brother seeing him as just another puppet was just fucking fine with him? Kalluto values his family more than anything in this world and you just played him like a toy, you piece of shit."

Illumi had to admit he was taken aback by the thief's words. He knew Kallu was a bright boy and had most likely understood why he had been chosen by his eldest brother to fill the role of messenger. But he never thought his brother could actually be hurt by it. Kallu had never paid much attention to any of his siblings besides Killu so it was to be expected that he wouldn't care about being used by them; if Illumi was in his place, he wouldn't.

"Don't be ridiculous." The assassin spoke, putting in his voice all the conviction he didn't really feel. "Kallu wouldn't allow something this small to affect him. He is a Manipulator like me; he understands the need to control someone to accomplish your goals."

"To manipulate a stranger, he does. To manipulate your own flesh and blood? No he doesn't." Bleach shot back without batting an eye, shoving the man hard on the chest, which, to her surprise, actually made him fall back on a sitting position on the mattress. "It is beyond my capacity to understand how that boy holds all of you crazy-as-fuck people in such high regard but he does. And he'd never do to you the shitty things you've done to him. Like trying to put a needle in his head and using him like a puppet."

To the thief's surprise, no response was shot back at her. Illumi stood silent, observing her with those large eyes of his; and his staring alone was enough to make her mad. So, deciding that this was as far as she was willing – and capable – to go to appease Illumi's sadistic need to torment her in order help Kalluto in his quest for domestic peace, Bleach turned her back to the assassin and walked out of the room; surprisingly, with no interruptions.

Meanwhile, Illumi remained on that same spot, thinking that, in his drive to retrieve Killu, maybe he hadn't paid as much attention to Kallu as he should have.

* * *

Bleach tried to hold it back, she honestly did.

The urge to call Kalluto and check up on him was there in her chest, but she didn't want to scare the boy. Casual callings like that were "friends' stuff _"_ and, while the youngest Zoldyck didn't seem to be as disgusted about the concept of friendship as the rest of his family, he still wasn't too keen on having said concept associated to himself.

However, many times Bleach did things she didn't intend on doing and after a couple of hours of pacing in her apartment and trying to entertain herself as to forget all that, she found herself with her cell phone in hand.

Just before she could find the boy's contact number in her phone, it was ringing and vibrating in her palm. She answered it without binking.

"Kalluto?"

" _Good evening, Bleach. Are you available to talk for a moment?"_

"Yes. Of course. What's up kid?"

" _Illumi just came back and said you met him in the hotel after all."_

"Yeah. I thought it better to allow him the amazing, even if short-lived, pleasure of my company. If only to get him off your back." Bleach answered, thankful that nothing had actually happened between her and the boy's brother; it made this conversation so much easier. "Why do you ask? What did he tell you about that?"

" _Just that you both completed your business and that you cursed him to hell and back as usual. And…"_

"And?"

"… _He thanked me for delivering you the envelope. And apologized for putting me in a position where I had to choose between him and Grandpa."_

Bleach couldn't actually hear it in the boy's voice, but she knew that Illumi's words meant a lot for him. Maybe for the first time in his life Kalluto was receiving some sort of recognition from his eldest brother. True, it wasn't all that much to begin with, but it was a big deal for Kalluto and she would treat it as such.

"That's great, Kalluto. I'm really happy that idiot is finally starting to treat you like an actual brother. Next session we're going to go all out in the ice cream parlour to commemorate Illumi's long-delayed baby steps."

" _I… Thank you."_

"It's just ice cream, Kalluto. No need to thank me."

" _No. Thank you for talking with Illumi. I'm sure this change, no matter how small or brief, is thanks to you. Somewhere into you cursing him you managed to get through him, even if a little bit."_

Bleach's eyes doubled their size and for long moments she was rendered speechless. How could Kalluto even think she had somehow interfered with that stubborn asshole's way of thinking? She of all people was the one whose opinions and values were completely ignored by Illumi. The assassin had proved time and time again that to him she was nothing but a tool, to be used and discarded when he saw fit.

"Kalluto, I don't thin-"

" _I'm sorry but I need to go. I have pain-endurance training with Milluki right now. See you next week?"_

"Yeah, sure." Bleach agreed dumbly before snapping back to attention. "And don't let that pig hurt you too much. Pain-endurance training or not."

" _Goodbye, Bleach."_

"Bye kid. Take care."

* * *

After that call Bleach had been surprised - shocked even - by the fact that Illumi had actually treated Kalluto decently. He had actually _apologized_ to his brother and if that wasn't something big, she didn't know what was. Maybe, with enough insistence and hard-work - not hers of course -, it was possible to make even someone as cold-blooded and selfish as Illumi see that Manipulation was no way to deal with people close to him.

That idea was soon replaced by the possibility that this whole thing was actually part of the assassin's Manipulation. He could very well be trying to get in Kalluto's good graces so the boy would be willing to help him establish a new channel to contact Bleach and try and use her to find Killua and Alluka.

However, weeks passed and Winter came but Ilumi made no sort of attempt at interacting with her. Contrary to expectations, he had finally acquiesced to her demands of being left alone.

And, gods damn her, she didn't like it nearly as much as she thought she would.

* * *

It was cold and snowing and the sun had set around 4PM. Despite being a Saturday night, it was a perfect day to stay indoors, sitting in front of the television she didn't watch all that much with a plate of homemade cookies on her lap and a warm cup of hot chocolate on the armrest.

However, Bleach didn't know how to make cookies, her hot chocolates were never creamy enough to her taste and she was hungry for actual food she didn't know how to cook. Because of that, she thought it better to just get out of her apartment; facing the cold in order to find a good place to eat – and she was _starving_ – seemed the best option.

And finding a handsome man to take her mind off the black-eyed parasite that seemed to have housed himself in her thoughts seemed even better. Even if just for one night.

So, without allowing her better judgement a chance to protes,t Bleach put on a thick coat and stalked out of her apartment to find the taxi she had called already out and waiting for her.

"Take me to the nicest bar in this city."

* * *

When the taxi driver took her to that nice hotel close to the train station – the one where she and Illumi had shared a room – Bleach felt like screaming in frustration but managed to hold it back. That hotel was indeed huge and upscale so it really shouldn't have surprised her that it also held the best bar in the city.

So, pushing to the back of her mind the thoughts of Illumi that immediately came to her, Bleach stalked to a more secluded table at a corner of the large and luxurious bar, hung her coat on the back of a chair and sat down.

A waitress was by her side in a moment's notice and she ordered a virgin mojito and some buffalo wings with extra sauce. The drink arrived at record speed.

Sipping her drink – thinking it would taste _so much better_ with a generous shot of rum in it – Bleach discreetly scanned the room, easily pinpoint every single male around her. As per usual with such nice bars, there were many bachelors that were quite eligible for a night in the sack but she still took her time observing them, trying to figure out which one was the easiest target. The thief didn't feel like putting too much effort in seducing an one-night stand and, even if it hurt her female pride to admit it, she had to be honest with herself: she wasn't the most beautiful woman in the bar. Competition was strong this night.

_Should've eaten something back home and told the driver to take me to a night club instead. Always easier to find someone in a night club._

Before Bleach could make her decision, a gorgeous woman walked in the bar and immediately caught her eye. Well, truth be told, her _dress_ caught her eye. It was short and skin-tight, covered with red sequins that reflected the light in an almost hypnotizing manner. In simple words: it was one of the most beautiful dresses the thief had seen in her whole life and she couldn't help but wonder if she'd look half as good in it as the woman did.

Bleach watched the newcomer scan the bar herself, most likely searching for her prey just like she was doing. However, unlike the thief who was taking her time locating an easy man, the woman in red went straight towards the one who had most interested her. Bleach couldn't blame her; if she looked like _that_ she wouldn't worry about rejection either.

The thief watched the woman walk to an area of the bar she hadn't noticed before. It was an elevated platform with a few tables on it and, if the bodyguard standing in front of the entrance was any indication, it was for VIPs only.

When she finally saw whom exactly was the woman's target, Bleach widened her eyes and let one single words escape her lips.

"Fuck."

The man in question had his back turned to her but the thief would recognize that long and silky ebony hair cascading over those wide shoulders and muscular back anywhere.

 _Illumi_.

Bleach knew she should stand up and _flee_ from the place immediately but, for the life of her, she couldn't tear her gaze away from the assassin. She watched as if in a trance as the woman granted him a seductive smile and took a seat by his side, flaunting her cleavage with such ease Bleach would bet her ass she had practiced the motion in front of a mirror.

_Look away, Bleach. Just look away… God fucking damn it! LOOK AWAY!_

She didn't.

The thief knew for a fact that people as trained as Illumi could easily feel others' eyes on the but she couldn't help but startle when he suddenly turned around and fixed those large eyes of his on her.

_Fuck fuck fuck fuck. Fuck!_

Bleach hurriedly turned her eyes away and nervously drained her alcohol-free cocktail, wishing with all she had that the bastard would pretend he hadn't noticed. Well, he was in the company of a gorgeous woman who was clearly interested in what he had beneath his pants so her wishing was not fart-fetched.

But well… shit happens.

"May I join you? I come bearing a gift. Alcohol-free. It's what you're drinking, according to the bartender."

_So much for wishful thinking._

Slowly Bleach turned her face towards the man who was now standing so close, looking down at her with emotionless eyes and one drink in each hand. A richly coloured and mouth-watering scotch and a boring and watery virgin mojito.

Scowling, the thief moved her gaze away from the man one more time, purposefully turning towards the table he had been occupying until a couple of moments ago and where the woman in red was still sitting.

"Don't you have company alre-"

The glare she received from the woman was enough to make the words catch in her throat.

"As you can see, even if wanted to return I wouldn't be welcomed back." Illumi spoke nonchalantly, sparing the woman in red a glance before settling his eyes back on Bleach. "So, can I sit down or not?"

"I was just about to leave." The thief lied.

"Maybe this could change your mind?" Illumi asked, offering her the mojito.

Bleach glared at the drink and at the man offering it to her before sighing in exasperation and begrudgingly nodding her head.

"Whatever."

Without a word, the assassin took a seat across the table from the white haired woman, sliding the virgin mojito towards her. She retrieved the drink without sparing him a look, but that was to be expected. What wasn't expected was for this same woman, who was pointedly facing away, promptly strike up conversation.

"What the fuck are you doing here anyway?" Bleach demanded, sparing him a quick glare from the corner of her eye.

"I just got back from a job and, as I told you before, I like to treat myself after successful missions. And I do enjoy an occasional light drinking." Illumi answered, draining his heavenly-smelling scotch. "The question is: what are _you_ doing in this bar?"

_I enjoy an occasional light drinking as well. Though our definitions of 'light' and 'occasional' might be different._

"I just-"

At that moment, the waitress appeared with Bleach's buffalo wings and, to her annoyance, _two_ plates and sets of cutlery.

_Bitch, you just invited him to join me for dinner._

"Girl, bring us another round of drinks." Illumi spoke to the waitress, not moving his eyes from the woman sitting across the table. She was glaring daggers at him as her eyes moved from her food to him and back. "And another one of these appetizers as well. And do it quickly."

"Right away. sir."

The assassin watched in amusement Bleach reach for her first wing and dip it in the bowl of sauce, covering it generously with the spicy substance without moving her wary glare from him. _How is it they say? One eye on the fish and the other on the cat._

"I take it you're hungry?"

The blush that spread on the woman's cheeks and neck made the situation even more entertaining.

"Not that it's any of your business!" Bleach began angrily, resisting the urge to take a bite off the appetizing morsel in her hands. "But I woke up late today and haven't eaten anything yet. So yes, I'm fucking hungry."

"I guess I'm not welcomed to help myself then?"

This time Bleach followed her stomach's pleas and ignored the assassin in order to take a huge bite off her wing, devouring almost the whole thing at once.

It was near-impossible for her not to close her eyes and moan in pleasure at how good that particular wing tasted. If there was something she had learned in Meteor City and that proved to be true no matter where she was, it was that hunger is the best spice. A second bite was all it took to clean the meat from the bone.

"You can eat." The thief answered as she reached for her second one, clearly in a much better mood after having something in her belly. "But only because you ordered more."

Illumi put a pleasant smile on his face and reached for one of the wings.

"It is true after all." He began, forgoing the spicy sauce as he brought the appetizer closer to his mouth. "The fastest way to a woman's heart – yours at least – is through her stomach."

Bleach's eyes narrowed in an ugly glare that would've been pretty intimidating, if not for her food-filled mouth making her cheeks puff out.

Eating his own wing in a calmly fashion the assassin watched the woman across the table angrily chew and swallow her food before shooting him a predicted "Fuck you."

It only made the man smirk as he responded in stride: "Do you promise?"

Reflexively Bleach averted her eyes from the assassin. But removing him from her sight wasn't enough to avoid the tingling sensation from reaching her groin. She had come to this place with every intention of finding herself a man for the night to make her stop thinking about the bastard – _the hot, sex-gifted bastard_ – sitting in front of her. She had entered this bar practically overflowing with frustrated arousal and having the very reason of her current state so close to her, _teasing_ her wasn't helping the situation. At all.

"Or would you rather if I returned to our scarlet friend and left you alone?"

Bleach mechanically focused her gaze on the woman in question. She was surrounded by three well-groomed men who were obviously competing with each other for her attentions; but still the thief caught her stealing a glance in their direction, observing them for any signs that her original prey was once again free for the taking.

For reasons she didn't understand Bleach felt annoyed at imagining Illumi and that woman leaving the place together, but managed to hide it behind an dismissive shrug as she reached for her third wing.

"Do as you please. I don't give a shit."

Before she could grab the appetizer, a pale and large hand settled atop of hers; warm and teasing. Automatically, wide brown eyes raised to find midnight black ones staring at her with a passion that really shouldn't be as familiar to her as it was.

"It would please me to do you." Illumi admitted in a soft voice that almost made the woman in front of him melt into a puddle. "It would please me _so much_."

"I-"

Bleach's throat was suddenly dry but another part of her anatomy was practically overflowing with wetness. She couldn't help but breathe a bit heavily at the promises of pleasure she could read inside the man's orbs and before she knew it she was pressing her thighs together to try and satisfy some of the _itch_ she was feeling in her groin.

"It would please you too. I would make sure of it." The man continued, moving his other hand up her arm until it had settled wide open and _warm_ on her neck and collarbone. "Come with me."

Those words full of sinful insinuation were Bleach's Open Sesame.

Next thing the woman knew she was pulling Illumi by the hand to the reception so they could rent a room. She was too horny to be surprised by the fact it was the same one they had used before.

Or to notice Illumi giving a nod of approval to the manager standing behind the reception.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Truth be told, I'm not 100% satisfied with this chapter but I really think it's past time I posted it. XP
> 
> What do you think? Were Illumi and Kalluto too OOC? Was Illumi and Bleach's meeting too cliché (I tried my best to work the jealousy angle in a different way than usual)?
> 
> Despite its faults, I hope it still was an enjoyable chapter :)
> 
> Kisses,  
> RedVoid


	58. Breaking The Rules

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone!
> 
> I'm really sorry for taking so long to update. If you've read my profile, you know that September and October are busy months for me; I spent a lot of late nights (and by that I mean, not leaving before midnight for most of the week days) doing some extracurricular stuff so I really didn't have the energy to write at all. Also I'm going through some personal stuff right now; nothing serious but it does lessen my will to write.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you find this chapter worth the wait :D
> 
> Also: fanfiction's user Lured by the Song of Sirens was super sweet and took her time to make some fan-art for this fic! I really recommend to check it in their tumblr: aa7654321.tumblr.com/post/152784474738/hunter-x-hunter-stuff-again-its-been-a-while

_Next thing Bleach knew she was pulling Illumi by the hand to the reception so they could rent a room. She was too horny to be surprised by the fact it was the same one they had used before._

_Or to notice Illumi giving a nod of approval to the manager standing behind the reception._

* * *

 

That encounter in the hotel bar was the start-mark of their affair.

Unknown to the rest of the Zoldycks – in the beginning at least –, a private line of communication had been stablished between Bleach and Illumi, and it was being very well used to set up encounters in that same hotel room.

Sometimes Bleach would arrive from her jobs and go to that hotel to find Illumi sitting on an armchair close by the fireplace, observing the door with smouldering eyes as he waited for her to make her entrance. Sometimes Illumi would walk in the room only to have his back pressed against the door as Bleach dropped to her knees and worked him to a frenzy with those plump lips of hers, not even bothering with a greeting. And there were also times they'd find each other in the reception and ride the elevator together. They never touched or talked inside the metal box, but the tension that built between them in there was always enough to make the experience in the room nothing short of mind-numbing.

Their encounters never followed a pattern, but there were some things they always kept the same. Two, to be exact: no kissing in the mouth and no cuddling afterwards.

Then, three weeks into this meant-to-be impersonal affair, one of those unspoken rules was broken.

* * *

 

The last job had been difficult and very tiring.

_Five days! Five days to locate the Royal Family of Ra'ab, which, of course, had to be hiding from the newspaper and tabloids to enjoy some vacations. Then I just had to find a way to infiltrate their summer house and then steal the Queen's wedding ring. From her fucking finger._

Needless to say, Bleach had very little time to sleep the last few days and, since her flight back to Padokea was only 5 hours long, there were no private cabins in the airship to be booked. She had to spend those 5 hours sitting in a room filled with loud passengers and a couple of bawling babies, praying for some kind of greater force to just put her out of her misery.

 _At least I finished this one day before the deadline._ The thief thought to herself. _I'll be able to hibernate for some 20 hours before leaving to the Zoldyck manor to deliver the ring to Tsubone._

Just as that small consolation came to the woman's mind, a message came to her cell phone and, of course, it had to be from the one person that seemed to have the life-goal of getting her fucked, figuratively and literally.

**I'll be leaving for a mission tomorrow afternoon and won't be back for two of weeks. Are you in town tonight?**

Bleach's first instinct was to lie; she was dying for a good rest and the last thing the assassin would allow her to do in that hotel room was rest.

However.

Two weeks in itself already seemed like a long time without getting any and, if she missed this "appointment", they would combine with the six days she spent away, making for 20 days without sex- fucking. Not sex, fucking,

Wondering when she had turned into a nymphomaniac that put orgasms above her own sleep, Bleach texted back that she'd be landing in a few minutes and would meet him in the hotel room in about an hour.

_Just a couple of hours to get my fix and I'll be able to finally catch on my sleep._

* * *

 

When Bleach entered the room Illumi was already there, lying on the bed wearing only his underwear and with his hands behind his head as if he was sunbathing in the beach. The image was almost tempting enough for Bleach to forget how tired she was. Almost.

Without a word, Bleach stalked to the bed, shedding her shirt and bra from her body, and leaving her shoes in the middle of the way. Just as she was about to undo the front of her shorts and pull them down Illumi sat up, ink black eyes immediately zeroing on hers, silently urging her to keep going.

With a cocky smirk on her face she complied with the silent request, pulling her shorts and panties down her legs in one swift motion. Now completely bare for the assassin's eyes, the woman climbed up on the mattress and wasted no time in crawling over his form and sitting herself on his lap, her naked centre flush against his clothed arousal.

Illumi's eyes roamed Bleach's body, from the thighs on each side of his hips and her sex slowly rubbing against his own to her delicious, smirking mouth and burning eyes. Automatically he reached up with his hands, settling them on her shoulders and slowly slid them down to her soft breasts - sparing a moment to knead them and tease their nipples - to her undulating hips and then to her backside, grabbing her butt cheeks firmly and using that hold to grind her even harder against him.

Bleach responded with a soft gasp as her hands went to the man's chest, pushing him down until he was lying on the mattress again. For a moment, her eyes settled on his lips and she felt a sudden urge to kiss them, but pushed it to the back of her mind, choosing to lick and nip at the skin of his neck instead.

And her hips continued to undulate over his.

Illumi felt the woman's wetness sweep through the fabric of his underwear and couldn't help but clench his jaw as the sensation brought a sudden spike of pleasure to him. Fast enough to startle the thief, he flipped them over and started to drill his groin into hers.

Bleach moaned low in her throat, he responded with a sharp intake of air and both increased the tempo and strength behind the movements of their hips. Faster, harder, more.

It had been almost a week since they last had the opportunity to have sex - the longest period both had spent without indulging into each other since their affair had satarted – and it would be two more for their next tryst to come by. Like Bleach, Illumi was growing rather accustomed to their frequent encounters and, while he knew his self-control was much superior than hers, he also preferred not to go without them for so long.

"Condom?" Bleach asked, fingers teasingly raking down the man's back and hooking on the damned underwear he really shouldn't be wearing.

Illumi rolled them over one more time, leaving the woman to lick her lips as she slid his underwear down his legs and he stretched his arm to the side to retrieve the package from the night table.

As soon as Bleach had got rid of the offending piece of clothing she descended upon Illumi's cock, taking it deep in her throat in a way that made the man clench his jaw and eyes, almost ripping the condom in his hands in two.

"Calm down, lovely." The assassin found in himself to speak, even if all he wanted at the moment was for those plump lips to keep doing exactly what they were doing. "Let me jus-"

At that exact moment, the phone started to ring.

"I. can't. Fucking. Believe this!" Bleach snarled, glaring at the cell phone ringing loud and clear on the side table next to Illumi. "You don't have to answer that shit, do you?"

Illumi sighed. "That ringtone is for my family. I can't ignore this call."

Bleach's jaw dropped and her eyes doubled their size as she watched Illumi, still hard as rock, softly push her off him and reach for his phone.

"Give me five minutes." The man said before answering the call and marching into the bathroom for some privacy.

Honestly flabbergasted by what had just transpired, Bleach fell on the bed, feeling her body cooling down as if someone had thrown a bucket of ice on her.

_What is this man?!_

Burying herself beneath the bed's blankets, Bleach mulled over the recent turn of events, trying to figure out how it was possible for someone to walk away like that so easily. She could feel that Illumi was as hot and eager as her for what was about to happen. So how?!

 _These people are too strange._ The thief told herself, feeling her exhaustion hit her with renewed force, forcing her to snuggle deeper into the covers and close her eyes for a second. _Maybe this is actually a blessing in disguise. Gives me a couple of minutes to rest my eyes. Just for a little while._

* * *

 

Ten minutes later Illumi walked out of the bathroom, more than ready to resume his previous activities. Only to find Bleach fast asleep, cocooned by the bed's blankets.

The assassin's first urge was to throw the whole mattress up in the air and wake the woman up with a floor to her face. But he had better self-control than that, even if it was barely 9PM and this counted as the second time she fell asleep and left him high and dry.

But that was his blessing in disguise, for it gave him the opportunity he had been waiting for: the chance to push a little harder, to try and finally get Bleach to allow him to crawl a little further beneath her skin.

So, with that small consolation in mind, the assassin slipped on his pair of underwear, holding back a hiss when he had to tuck his still half-eract cock inside the fabric. Then, holding back the urge to wake up Bleach so they could resume what they were doing – he could do it very gently, very seductively; she'd be up for it in no time – he turned off the lights and carefully laid by her side on the mattress.

At first he kept his gaze on the ceiling, willing himself not to wake Bleach and just let it go. Then, once he was calm enough, he rolled to his side so he was facing the sleeping woman. She had the covers pulled up to her chin, a bit of drool escaping her slack mouth and a rebellious strand of hair falling over her face that was blown up in the air every time she exhaled.

_I almost can't believe someone this adorable is so irritable and rude most of the time she's awake._

Feeling a smirk trying to pull at the corner of his lips, Illumi combed that rebellious strand of white hair behind Bleach's ear and, using just a bit of his Aura to keep her sleeping – it was against his grandfather's contract but no one would ever find out; what the eyes don't see the heart doesn't feel –, he planted a languid kiss on those plump lips of hers.

With a sense of accomplishment bubbling inside him, Illumi rolled again so he was lying on his back and closed his eyes. He wasn't really tired, but he guessed there were worst ways to pass the time than resting by the side of a lovely woman.

* * *

 

Bleach woke up to the mouth-watering smell of freshly made breakfast, and a full traditional one at that. By smell only she knew there was bacon, sausages, eggs, mushrooms and toasts at a reaching distance and that was enough incentive for the woman to free herself from the blankets cocooning her body and sit up on the bed as her sleep-filled eyes searched her surroundings for the food.

Easily enough she spotted a hotel food cart holding many lidded plates standing innocently close to the room's door, which was on its way to being closed by none other than a half-naked Illumi.

The thief startled for a moment, instinctively grabbing a pillow from the bed and holding it against her naked chest as her still sleep-drunk brain tried to understand why in the world she was waking up alone in a hotel room with Illumi.

As the occurrences of the previous night slowly came back to Bleach the assassin pushed the cart towards the bed, internally smirking in amusement at finding the woman already awake and alert and all thanks to the food that had been brought into the room moments before.

_With a nose like that she could be working as a detection dog in airports._

"Good morning, lovely." Illumi greeted good-naturedly, taking the liberty to sit down on the edge of the bed by the woman's side. "I ordered us breakfast."

"I can see that." Bleach responded, warily eyeing the food standing right in front of her. It was mouth-watering and she was hungry, but the assassin could've put something in it.

"If I wanted to poison you-" Illumi began, easily understanding what she was thinking. "-I would've done while you were asleep."

That didn't make the thief any less suspicious, prompting the assassin to sigh dramatically as he removed the lid of one of the plates on the cart, revealing a mouth-watering stack of waffles. Without a word, he tore a piece of a waffle and brought it into his mouth.

Bleach watched him chew the food with hunger-filled eyes and for a moment Illumi thought she'd tackle him and try to suckle the tasty morsel directly from his mouth. She didn't, and he had to admit he felt rather disappointed at that.

"What time is it?" Bleach asked, promptly moving her gaze from Illumi's mouth to the plates in front of her. Pulling the bedsheet around herself to cover her naked upper body, she removed the lids of the plates one by one, revealing the fat-filled food she had smelled when waking up.

"A quarter past seven in the morning." Illumi answered as he picked up an empty plate and filled it with food. Then he handed the plate to the woman, alongside a fork and a knife, before moving on to fill his own plate. "You've slept for ten hours straight. Completely ignored me…"

Bleach received the food without even realizing what she was doing, feeling her IQ points drop steadily at the sight of a bare-chested Illumi serving her deliciously smelling food in bed.

"Your last mission must've been pretty though to tire you out like that."

"What? You think absolute exhaustion is the only possible way for me to pass up fucking with you?" Bleach demanded in a haughty voice, decisively forking one of her sausages and taking a large bite out of it for good measure. "Pretty arrogant, aren't we?"

"Arrogant with reason, as you very well know it." Illumi retorted with a cocky smirk on his lips before driving a much more reasonable portion of food in his mouth.

"I've had better." Bleach lied shamelessly, something that only amused the assassin further.

"Oh, really?"

"Really."

"What was his name?"

The thief had to resist the urge to roll her eyes. She knew where the assassin was going with this; he'd shoot quick and varied questions about a man that admittedly didn't really exist – which didn't mean she wouldn't find someone better than Illumi one day. she would and she'd throw it in his face with much pleasure – hoping she'd confound herself and mix up the information. Well, too bad for him that he wasn't the only one good at lying shamelessly. Bleach knew exactly how to deal with such a situation: pick any person that she knew and use their information to answer the questions.

"Sergei."

"Just Sergei?"

"Yes." Bleach snapped. While she did know the full name of her latest fling – before Illumi of course – she wasn't giving it up to the assassin. "I'm not telling you his full name just so you can go and harass him."

"And why would I do that?" Illumi asked, dropping his head to the side in an innocent manner.

"To torment me." The thief answered easily, taking another bite of her food. "You know how bad it'd make me feel if I was the reason someone else got in trouble with you."

"Fair enough." The assassin conceded even if he had had not intention of tormenting Bleach's fake "boyfriend". "How old is he?"

"27."

"What kind of food he likes?"

"Spicy. And the dish has to have red meat somewhere in it or else it isn't a meal, just a snack."

That piece of information made Illumi doubt the man's inexistence for a moment, even if he didn't show it. It was awfully specific to be made up on spot.

"And desserts?"

"Doesn't like them."

"Preferred kind of movies?"

"Surprisingly enough, animations."

"How many family members?"

"We hooked up for a week at most. That piece of information never came to surface."

Now that gave the assassin pause. To admit not knowing a piece of information when trying to convince someone that something is real was not something people would do unless they were telling the truth. Sergei did exist.

_But that doesn't mean he's better than me._

Immediately Illumi understood what Bleach was doing, using one of her flings as guideline for her answers. _Smart move; no better way to feed a lie than using truths_. Too bad the assassin was much too experienced in that particular department not to realize it.

Holding back the urge to smirk, Illumi laid his plate on the cart and lowered his mouth to Bleach's ear, suckling her earlobe briefly before shooting his next question.

"Did you scream his name when he made you orgasm?"

The woman swallowed her food audibly, unconsciously tilting her head to the side and baring her neck to the man. "Yes."

"Scratch his back?" He continued, lips glued to her ear and blowing warm air into it.

"I did. All of it."

"Bloody?"

"Oh, yes." Bleach breathed out. "Couldn't help myself. He was that good."

"You, lovely-" Illumi began, planting kisses all over the skin of Bleach's neck. "-are a liar."

As if struck by lightning Bleach pulled away from the assassin, bright eyes wide in shock and mouth open and ready to spit out a denial but before she could say anything she found herself laying on the mattress with the blackest pair of eyes boring down on her with scary intensity.

"You couldn't be loud during good sex if you tried." Illumi began, using his knees to push hers apart and make some room for him to align his body with hers. "You gasp and moan and sometimes whisper my name. But you don't scream. Not when you're feeling pleasure."

"What the fu-"

"And you certainly don't scratch, let alone draw blood." He continued, raising his hand to caress the woman's cheek. "You never leave marks, lovely."

"Maybe you're just not good enough for me to lose control." Bleach growled, slapping Illumi's hand away. "Ever thought of that?"

"No."

"Maybe you should- Ah!"

No amount of indignant anger could keep Bleach from gasping when Illumi's abused hand moved down her body, quickly settling on her heat and starting to tease her, gently and slowly.

"Well, maybe you should stop playing games of make-believe with yourself." The assassin spoke in a condescending voice. "Just accept it, lovely. I'm the best you ever had and the best you ever will have."

"No." Bleach denied in a breathy voice.

Illumi just smiled and gently moved forwards, slowly manoeuvring the woman so she was laying on her back on the mattress with him hovering above her.

"Yes." He breathed out in her ear as his hand started to work double-pace, making Bleach release a delicious moan that made him almost instantaneously hard. "Yes."

"N-no."

The woman moaned and writhed beneath the assassin's hand and, just when she was about to come, he removed it. Fake brown eyes snapped open, settling on Illumi's haughty gaze with pleading want.

"Illu-"

"Yes." The man cut in, burying his face on Bleach's neck and nipping at it with gusto. "Say it."

The thief's eyes narrowed and she raised her hands, ready to push the assassin off her. Illumi noticed this and quickly reached up with his own hands, trapping her wrists between his palms and the mattress. That only made the angry fire in Bleach's eyes burn hotter.

"No." She spoke with finality, challenging Illumi with both the word and her eyes.

The assassin accepted her challenge with a smile before resuming to kiss the woman's neck. The kisses were languid and sensual; and slowly moving down her body.

Bleach was watching every second of it with anticipation bubbling in her chest and shallow breaths escaping her mouth. Never breaking eye-contact with Illumi, she watched with rapid attention as he went down. Down to her clavicle, down to the valley of her breasts, down to her belly, down to her-

"Oh fuck-"

One lick. One languorous and gloriously teasing lick and Bleach's body was already betraying her. Her thighs clamped on the assassin's head, her back arched and her eyes closed in anticipation.

"That good, huh?"

A part of the thief wanted nothing more than to kick the smugness out of Illumi's voice but it was a small and weak part of her; it was soon overpowered by the excitement of, for the first time in her life, having a man with his head between her legs, willing to focus his attentions solely on pleasing her.

"Keep going." Bleach demanded in a shaky voice, half-lidded eyes staring unseeingly at the ceiling, not daring to look down to see the smug look in Illumi's face. One hand reached down to take a handful of his silky hair in a soft grip. "No one has ever done this for me..."

"Then tell me I'm the best. That no one has ever made you feel like that. That you want me and me alone." Illumi coaxed, eyes fixed on Bleach's face as he kissed her inner thighs and granted the skin of her outer lips with soft and teasing licks, making her tremble and gasp. "I want to hear you say it."

The assassin watched with fascination the woman try and take some deep breaths in-between the gasps she let out whenever he licked her just a bit harder, doing his best to forgo his own need in order to push the woman over the edge of hers. Finally, after seconds that felt like hours, the woman raised her head from the mattress and returned his heated stare with one of her own. It was hot and needy, and it demanded satisfaction.

"You're the best I ever had." Bleach breathed out in a surprisingly firm voice as she buried her hand deeper into Illumi's locks, scratching his skull in such a way it made him want to shudder in pleasure. "And I want you to continue this. So just-"

Illumi couldn't resist the urge to smile in victory at the pleading tone in Bleach's voice and the urgency in the hand that was softly pushing his face to her centre, all but begging him to please her.

"Yes." The man acquiesced, not wasting any more time with his torturous teasing and finally giving both Bleach and himself what they wanted.

The woman's eyes shut tightly and her grip on Illumi's hair tightened and she buckled and trembled and moaned-

"Yes."

"Yes!"

"Oh, fuck- _Yes_!"

-And Illumi drank it all down with a smile on his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, we have more of Bleach's denial and sexual frustration in this chapter. XDXD
> 
> I wish I could say that she'll soon mature and learn how to get involved in a commited relationship with another human being - though admitelly Illumi isn't the best choice for that - but she is rather stubborn so... be patient with her (and me) XDXD
> 
> Kisses,  
> RedVoid


	59. Denying Jealousy

Scared didn't even begin to describe how Bleach felt. _Terrified_ would be a more appropriate word but even that didn't fully cover her situation; she had experienced terror before and, although said emotion was close to what she felt at the moment, it was not quite so.

She felt like painting her hair, changing her name and moving to the other side of the world; she felt like going to wherever in the world Illumi was so they could lock themselves in a hotel room for hours – _days_ – on a row. She felt like throwing up and smiling whenever she thought about the assassin. She felt scared and excited.

In other words, Bleach didn't have a name for what she felt so terrified would do.

_I've been too long with just one man. That's why I'm so fixated with him._

That wasn't true and deep down Bleach knew it – she had never felt the same about Harry, even though they dated for more than a whole year on a row – but still she tried to convince herself it was the truth.

_These two weeks apart will be good. It'll give me the chance to push that bastard from my mind completely._

And the thief tried to do so, _desperately_. She occupied her time with jobs and training sessions with Kalluto, always berating herself mentally whenever thoughts of Illumi and sex invaded her mind.

But the moments self-scolding were growing more frequent by the day and ten days into her Illumi-abstinence period she couldn't take it anymore. She needed him.

_No. I need_ _**sex** _ _. Not him. Just… sex._

And she tried to get some of that. Went to the hotel's bar to find someone for herself but left alone; it seemed not one of the well-groomed men were well-groomed enough to her tastes.

_Fucking snow is keeping all the good ones holed up in their homes._

The argument was weak even to her ears but it was all she had and she'd use it to exhaustion.

She used something similar to it when she spent two days in an island that was the definition of a tropical paradise to steal a 300-year old human skull a tycoon liked to parade around the place as some sort of religious symbol and when she passed on the chances to screw some hot surfers that strut around the beaches showing off their tight asses and strong arms and _abs_.

* * *

And, of course, she also used it when she arrived from her mission in a snow-covered Padokea and went straight to the Hotel's bar ten days after Illumi left the city and shot down all of the potential one-night stands in the room at the speed of light, even though she was overflowing with sexual frustration.

_That isn't fair! Why are there only shits in this place?!_

"Fancy seeing you here, lovely."

Bleach's hand tightened around her glass of orange juice and made it shatter on the top of the bar's counter.

"Holy crap! Are you alright, sweetheart?" The bartender asked as he rushed with a towel to clean up the mess.

Bleach didn't hear or listen to the man. Her attention was completely focused on the stoic assassin who was dressed in a fancy suit and currently taking a seat by her side.

"The fuck are you doing here?"

"My airship just landed and something told me I'd find you here." The assassin explained, holding back the urge to smile. "So I decided to save some time in calling you and came straight here."

" _Something_ told you?" Bleach asked with clear distrust in her voice.

Illumi shrugged. "I may have struck a deal with the Hotel's manager. He keeps our suite empty for when we decide to use it and tells me when you walk in this place; in return he's entitled to a favour from one of the infamous Zoldyck assassins."

"YOU WHAT?!"

Bleach's face was so irate and full of outrage that there was no holding back the urge to smile and it overcame Illumi.

"Lower your voice, lovely." Illumi spoke, nonchalantly motioning for the bartender to bring him a scotch. "People are staring."

Bleach glared at the people around her, quickly making them look away from the crazy white-haired woman screaming at the seemingly-innocent brunette man sitting by her side. Then she fixed her burning glare on said man.

"You're keeping tabs on my whereabouts?" Bleach hissed. "You manipulative son of a bitch!"

"You act like this is unexpected news." Illumi spoke, nodding at the bartender when he brought him his scotch and Bleach another glass of orange juice. "I took so many extreme measures to have you in the past. What is some low key espionage compared to that?"

"It is an invasion of my privacy!" The thief snapped, almost growling in Illumi's face. "After all this time you still haven't learnt your lesson! You don't own me, alright?!"

Just like that Illumi's smile became a little strained and he had to take a sip of his drink.

"I never said I owned you, lovely." The assassin stated diplomatically. "I'm not trying to control you by keeping tabs on where you go. I'm just… watching out for my investment."

Bleach opened her mouth, ready to lash out again, but stopped mid-way. She tilted her head to the side, glared some more at the assassin, and finally she said:

" _What?_ "

"What, what? You heard me."

"Yeah… but I'm not sure what you mean by that." The woman admitted, frowning at the assassin over her orange juice.

"Want me to explain it?"

"No." The thief decided without blinking. "Know why? Because I don't _care_ about what it means. We're just fuck-buddies. Non-important to each other and completely replaceable."

Illumi raised an eyebrow at that. "Replaceable? Really?"

"Yes."

"You'd replace the best you ever had- the best you'll _ever_ have?"

Bleach scowled. "Not this again."

"You brought it upon yourself, with your insisting on lying to yourself about just how much you need me."

"Know what? Go fuck yourself." Bleach spat at the assassin. "Because I sure as fuck ain't."

Illumi opened his mouth to respond but before he could say anything Bleach was walking away from him with her glass in hand.

Before she could take three steps, he was by her side.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"I'm going to have the best sex of my life. And it won't involve _you_."

"You honestly believe that?"

"Yes."

"…Alright then. Do it."

Bleach's steps halted immediately and she turned to stare at Illumi as if he had grown a second head.

"What? You want to fuck another man? Do it. As you've said before; I don't own you." The assassin spoke as if he couldn't care less.

The thief was speechless and motionless for long moments before regaining her badass attitude and nodding with much more emphasis than was necessary.

"Damn right you don't. Good thing you finally got it through that thick skull of yours."

With that said, Bleach made to march away from the assassin, but his hand closed gently above one of her biceps, keeping her still for a little while longer so he could whisper in her ear.

"Once you're done with your little game of make-believe-" He pulled a key card – one that was very familiar to Bleach – and slipped it inside the pocket of her red coat. "-I'll be waiting in our room." Then he kissed the woman's cheek before she could pull away. "See you later."

Bleach watched Illumi strut away from her and take his seat back at the bar with a stunned expression on her face.

_What the-_

Then she shook her head and marched in the opposite direction to sit down in an empty booth close to the wall and watch the men in the bar.

_Fuck him._

But her eyes kept going back to Illumi.

_Fuck him! Fuckhimfuckhimfuckhim. Fuck. H-_

"Bleach?"

The thief turned her head to the right, immediately focusing her eyes on the man standing across the table of her booth.

"Sergei?"

"You remember!" The man spoke with a warm smile that Bleach couldn't help but reciprocate.

"Of course I remember you. I'm not some old lady who can't remember what she ate for breakfast, let alone two great weeks in a hotel surrounded by snow with just a hot tub and you for company." Bleach spoke with a smirk. "Are you here on a business trip or just playing the tourist?"

"Actually, just a flight connection. I was supposed to leave tonight but there's a blizzard going on in my destination, so my flight was cancelled." Sergei answered. "And it seems that in the next two days there'll be a blizzard going on here, so my flight will remain cancelled. I'm on stand-by in this Hotel until the company finds me a new flight." When he was done with his explanation, his smile became a little brighter and his eyes twinkled playfully. "And you certainly aren't an old lady."

Bleach mock-scoffed. "Is this your way of complimenting me?"

"No. _This_ is my way of complimenting you: Bleach, you've become even more beautiful since the last time I saw you."

"That's better." The thief spoke with an amused smile. "And for such an honest-spoken compliment, you've earned the right to sit down and join me for drinks."

Sergei chuckled and removed his cashmere sweater to reveal he had only a tight-fitting white T-shirt underneath it, before sitting down besides Bleach.

"You just don't feel cold, do you?" Bleach asked with a smirk, unashamedly staring at the man's torso. "I like it."

"Is this your way of complementing me?"

Bleach spared a look at Illumi and noticed he was staring at her with wide and emotionless black eyes before setting her gaze back on Sergei. As she did so, her smirk turned positively predatory.

"Yes."

* * *

Illumi watched Bleach flirt shamelessly with the tall blonde man with a stoic expression, not really understanding if he felt more amused or annoyed at the scene.

He was ready for the pathetic vision of Bleach desperately trying to pick up any guy in the bar just to prove her point. He expected Bleach to be grossed out with herself from beginning to end and simply _hate_ the experience of being with a man different than himself and quickly give up and run to their room. And, while what he was seeing had a little bit of that sad desperation he expected, it wasn't quite what he was looking for.

She knew that man; she _liked_ that man-

_I know I would like to kill him._

-Of course, she could never enjoy that man as much as she enjoyed him, but only the thought of her having a good time was enough to make the experiment turn sour. And, if she left with that man, she would enjoy herself with him because he was gentle and warm and she liked men like that. She wouldn't feel the thrill Illumi knew he gave her, but she would feel safe and comfortable if she left with him. She could never _need_ gentle and warm but she still liked it.

And now, she was leaving the bar with it. And, since he was the one who proposed this experiment, Illumi would have to stand by and watch quietly, even if his fingers were itching to throw some needles on that man's eyeballs _._

_I need to calm down. I'm not a teenage boy to go around killing men for playing with my toys. Though the idea is tempting._

Good thing someone came along to distract him.

"Hello handsome."

Illumi debated for a second if he should respond or not to the woman who had just approached him-

"Hello gorgeous. Can I buy you a drink?"

-But only for a second.

If Bleach could enjoy gentle and warm, he could enjoy easy and cheap.

* * *

"Wait."

Sergei pulled away immediately, using his elbows as support to keep himself above Bleach's neck, which he had been nibbling until that very moment.

"Yes?"

"I… This isn't working."

Eyebrows furrowed in concern and confusion, Sergei immediately got off Bleach and sat on the mattress by her side.

"I'm sorry. Did I do something wrong?"

"No. Not all." Bleach grumbled as she glared at the ceiling. Then, with a sigh, she sat up so she could face the man and talk to him. "I'm just stupid."

If anything, Sergei's expression became more confused and concerned, urging Bleach to keep going.

"There's this guy I've been seeing and he's a huge jackass. And I hate him."

"Then why-"

"Sex." Bleach answered before he could ask. "It is that good."

"I… see."

Bleach cringed at the embarrassed expression in Sergei's face. "Sorry; I'll stop talking. This is too awkward."

"A little bit." Sergei agreed with a chuckle. "But not overwhelmingly so. I grew up with two older sisters and two younger ones; I'm used to "girl" talk."

"But doesn't it bother you? That I'm talking about another guy when we have… you know?"

Sergei laughed harder and shook his head. "Bleach, I really enjoyed spending time with you in that Hotel in the mountains and tonight in the bar and I think you're a wonderful woman. But I'm 34 years old; I'm old enough to understand what it is we have between us. And let's face it; I have no reason to feel jealous over it. And I think it would be better for both of us if you were spending the night with the person you actually want. I, personally, am not a big fan of being intimate with a woman while she's thinking of someone else."

A big smile stretched across Bleach's lips and she planted a long kiss on Sergei's cheeks.

"I wish more guys were like you, Sergei." The woman spoke as she jumped off the bed and started to collect her clothes from the floor. "And I'm sorry for not… you know."

Sergei's smile died and a scowl took its place. "That's not something you should apologize for. You don't owe me sex."

Bleach stopped pulling up her pants and stared wide-eyed at Sergei.

"What?" The man demanded, scowling further. "Don't look so surprised. It makes me lose respect for men in general. And I'm a man. I'd like to respect myself."

Before Sergei could blink, Bleach had her arms around his neck.

"I really, _really_ wish more men were like you."

* * *

"Calm down. Let me get the card."

"Sorry. You're just so _hot_."

Illumi had to resist the urge to roll his eyes as the girl suckling on his neck like a leech made a show of detaching herself from his body, as if she could fool him in believing she was that desperate for sex. No one was _that_ desperate.

_One night stands. They always make a show._

With a smile that was just as fake as the girl's desperation, Illumi reached inside his pants' back pocket. Only to scrunch his face in confusion when he found his key card "missing".

"Not in your pocket?" The girl asked. "Maybe you dropped on the way here. I'll go look!"

The assassin watched the obviously drunk girl zigzag across the corridor and turn left towards the elevator with complete disinterest as he reached inside one of his jacket's inner pockets and retrieved the key card, only to stare at it with a pensive expression. He had successfully diverted the girl's attention and was now debating whether to follow through with his plans for the night or just let it go and return home– _actually_ , _I think I'll have to rent a room here; if the snow outside is any indication, there will be no driving all the way up Kukuroo Mountain tonight_. He didn't feel all that excited about fucking that stranger; it was all to spite Bleach.

_It's just sex. Might as well leave._

Before Illumi could actually follow through with his plan, his escort's drunken voice resonated through the hallways, no doubt annoying many of the Hotel's clients who were trying to sleep.

"Found the card!"

The assassin had to hold himself from looking surprised as he watched the girl walk back to him with a smile on her face and a key card in her hands.

"You dropped it in front of the elevator." She explained with a smile. "At least that's what the lady who found it said to me."

Illumi's mind went blank for a second and all he could think was-

_Fuck._

* * *

It sickened Bleach to admit it, but she had the beginning of a skip in her step as she walked from Segei's room to the elevator and from the elevator to her and Illumi's room.

Or almost there.

She had just turned the corner and held the key card in her hands when the image of Illumi and some random woman making out invaded her sight. Bleach's jaw dropped as she watched the woman – _hot, brunette, beautiful_ – rub her whole body against Illumi's as she kissed and licked his neck like some sort of ant-eater.

Bleach silently retreated and hid herself behind the wall. With a sigh and a word of self-depreciation towards her intellect, she turned around and walked back to the elevator, cursing at finding it had already left her floor. With a scowl, she slammed her fist on the button and waited; she didn't have the nerve to return to Sergei, but she sure as hell wasn't approaching Illumi now.

As she waited for the damn metal box to reach her floor, the thief heard the sounds of the woman's pumps hitting the floor, approaching her location. Bleach couldn't help but press repeatedly the elevator's button in the illogical hope that it would make it reach her floor faster-

"Oh, hey!"

-But of course it didn't.

_Fuck!_

"Hey." Bleach replied in a strained voice, sparing the still approaching woman a glance from the corner of her eye.

"Did you see a key card around here?" The brunette asked, close enough that Bleach could smell the vodka in her breath.

The thief clenched her jaw and took a deep breath, telling herself that she wasn't angry at the woman for getting to fuck Illumi – _after a nice, long night of heavy drinking on top of everything! –_ and only annoyed for another night without sex.

"Is this it?" Bleach asked, raising her own key card for the woman to see. "It was on the floor in front of the elevator."

"Room 7927! This is it!" The woman spoke, full of sparkle. "Thanks!"

Bleach watched the woman zigzag back to Illumi with an ugly scowl on her lips and only managed to tear her eyes away when the DING of the elevator's doors opening invaded her ears, allowing her to finally enter the painfully slow metal box as she spat one final word to the perky brunette:

" _Bitch_."

Once inside the elevator, Bleach glared at the closing doors, thinking the night couldn't have gone any worse than this.

Then a pale and masculine hand appeared from seemingly out of nowhere, keeping the doors from closing and Bleach's night from reaching its miserable, but long-awaited end.

As the doors slowly slid open again to reveal Illumi's figure standing right in front of her, Bleach's eyes widened and her jaw dropped to the floor. Before the thief knew what she was doing, she was dashing out of the elevator, trying to slip out of it through the gap between Illumi's body and the frame of the elevator's exit.

Only to be stopped by Illumi's arm embracing her midriff and pushing her back into the metal trap.

"Hey!" Bleach let out in a startle as her back hit the elevator's back wall. Her shock was quickly overcome with rage when her eyes settled on Illumi's stoic figure. "Let me out, you shit."

The assassin responded by pressing the DOORS CLOSE button then, as soon as the elevator started to move, the STOP one. All the time, his bottomless eyes were fixed on Bleach's own orbs that seemed to carry hellfire within them as she glared back at him.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" The thief demanded in a venomous voice as the elevator stopped moving at once.

Illumi stared at her for long moments in absolute silence, something that only made her more anxious and irate with him and the whole situation. When he finally spoke, his words were nowhere near satisfactory.

"You're angry at me."

"No shit Sherlock!" Bleach exploded, stomping one foot. "What did you expect after trapping me in this fucking elevator?!"

Illumi's lips twitched in amusement at the irate expression on Bleach's face. _She_ _is_ _adorable._

"You're not angry at me because of this." He continued. "You're angry at me for intending to have sex with that girl."

The thief's ire gave place to shock for a split of a second before she recovered herself and put a new scowl on her face as she squared her shoulders. From the glint in Illumi's eyes, Bleach could tell this was the beginning of a long and stressful argument.

And she was ready to turn it into a full-blown fight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! :D
> 
> It's different to work in the jealousy angle when both parties involved are too self-involved to actually do anything more than rage quietly to themselves. XD
> 
> Kisses,  
> RedVoid


	60. Snowed In

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Christmas is right around the corner and I come here as a make-believe Santa Claus to bring you a new chapter! I know it's not all that much but it's my Christmas present for you all. :D
> 
> So... Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all! Hopefully 2017 won't be as crazy and hellish as 2016 XDXD

_"You're angry at me for intending to have sex with that girl."_

_The thief's ire gave place to shock for a split of a second before she recovered herself and put a new scowl on her face as she squared her shoulders. From the glint in Illumi's eyes, Bleach could tell this was the beginning of a long and stressful argument._

_And she was ready to turn it into a full-blown fight._

* * *

With her back against the wall and her chest touching Illumi's, Bleach snarled.

"You are so fucking arrogant!" Bleach spat out, giving Illumi the ugliest glare she could manage. "You honestly think I'm this mad just because you felt liking fucking another woman?"

"I _know_ so." Illumi spoke, resisting the urge to smile in amusement.

"You're crazy!" The woman snapped, pushing on Illumi's chest with enough force to make him take a step back. "I'm pissed off because I started the night with two certain lays and now am going home completely frustrated! I have no reason to get angry because you decided to wet your dick with someone else! It's not like we're exclusive or some shit like that! I ha-"

"Maybe we should be."

And just like that Bleach went from a furious ranting woman to a babbling idiot who couldn't form one coherent word besides-

"-WHAT?!"

"We should be exclusive." The assassin repeated in the most nonchalant voice. "It makes sense."

"How?!" Bleach demanded. "How, in that fucked up mind of yours, does you and me beginning an exclusive relationship make sense? How!"

Illumi advanced one step so his chest was once again touching Bleach's and he could lower his mouth to whisper in her ear.

"I didn't like when you left with that man." He began; voice smooth and seductive. "And I didn't really want to sleep with that girl; I wanted you. I _want_ you. And I'm growing tired of having to argue with you all the time that you want me too. We're the same, but you keep trying to lie to yourself, saying that you could get from anyone what you get from me and that is becoming really old, really fast. I want you to stop these pathetic attempts at easing your conscience and just accept what we have. And for that, we should become exclusive."

Bleach scowled but without even realizing it, she lowered her voice to a whisper as well. "We hate each other."

"I don't hate you."

"Whatever." She retorted, turning her face to the side when Illumi pushed a strand of her hair behind her ear. " _I_ hate you."

"You don't hate me. But even if you did, I don't see why that would be reason for us not to become exclusive."

Bleach couldn't help but stare at the man as if he had grown a second head. "I think hate is a fucking good reason for two people NOT to date each other."

"Oh lovely, get your mind out of romance will you?" Illumi spoke in a tone that mixed amusement and condescension before nibbling the woman's ear in a way that made her breath hitch in her throat. "Our relationship is not about love. It's about want, need and possession."

"That kind of fucked up shit just makes me want to end this so called "relationship", not deepen it." Bleach said, pushing back the urge to nibble his ear too and forcing a scowl in her lips. "Why would I give a shit like you any sort of possession over me?"

"Because you would have possession over me too. A little bit."

"…What do you mean?"

"I mean you'd have a say in what I do. Most specifically, w _ho_ I do." Illumi explained with the hint of a smile. "Situations like this wouldn't happen again; if I commit to wait, that's what I'll do. In exchange, you stop this senseless hunt for men you seem to practice whenever I'm not around."

_And I want information about my Killu. But that's something you'll give me later, without even realizing it._

Bleach stared at Illumi for long moments with obvious distrust in her eyes, but still the assassin knew he had her. She was considering his proposal and he knew that the thief only gave thought to the things she wanted.

_And she always goes after the things she wants._

"Why should I care if you fuck other women?" Bleach demanded. "As long as you're here when I need a fuck, I see no reason for us to become exclusive."

Illumi shrugged and took a step back, surprising Bleach even if she hid it under a mask of indifference.

"Maybe I won't be here when you need a _fuck_ anymore. I'm growing tired of our little games, lovely. If we're to continue our relationship, I want something more stable and that doesn't involve reasoning as foreplay. So tell me, are you willing to give this to me? Or do you want us to stop our little "meetings"?"

The thief wanted to play indifferent, say that if that was the case Illumi should go and find someone else, but she didn't dare. She knew there was a catch somewhere in this agreement and that breathing in the same room as the assassin was a risk on her mental health by itself but she also knew she wanted _bad_ what he had to offer and that she wasn't likely to find it easily with someone else. She tried to not 30 minutes ago and here she was, discussing the possibility of becoming a "thing" with Illumi.

And, truth be told, imagining how hot it would be if they fucked right there in the elevator.

_I need to get away from him._

"Right now, all I want is to go home." Bleach spoke with a sigh, only half-lying. "We can talk about this crazy stuff later. This night was absolute shit for me and all I want is for it to end in a more-or-less planned manner."

Illumi resisted the urge to scowl. On one side, he couldn't force Bleach to make a decision right now because it would only push her to make the wrong one. On the other, if he gave her time to think in peace she just might come to the conclusion that it would be in her best interest if they didn't meet anymore.

He needed to give her time, but he also needed to stay with her.

"I'll take you home." The assassin decided at last, repressing the STOP button so the elevator could move again. Then he pressed the garage button. "My car is parked in the hotel's garage."

"I don't need you to take me home." Bleach spat, crossing her arms over her chest as she glared at the man. "I'm perfectly capable of getting into a taxi by myself."

"Good luck finding a taxi at this hour with so much snow on the streets."

Bleach humphed at him and fixed her eyes on the elevator's metal doors.

How bad could the snowing have gotten in the four hours she spent inside the blasted hotel?

* * *

"I'm sorry, Miss. Taxis are forbidden of circulating due to the snow." An apologetic receptionist told Bleach. "You'll need to wait here until it subsides. Don't worry; I'm sure I can find you a room to-"

The thief didn't stay to hear the end of the woman's sentence. With silent steps and an ugly scowl, she marched away from the desk and back to the elevator.

* * *

In the garage, a satisfied-looking Illumi waited just outside his started car. He said he was just waiting for the engine to heat up, but Bleach knew better.

"Don't talk." The thief ordered as she stomped to the passenger's door. "Just drive."

* * *

Illumi, for once, did just as Bleach asked of him. He followed her directions without saying a word, something that made the journey, already slow due to the amount of snow covering the streets, seem rather everlasting; it took them a little over one hour to reach a destination that should've been 30 minutes away, at most.

"Finally." Bleach grumbled as Illumi parked the car inside her spot in the underground garage. "I was this close to going by foot."

"Don't complain, lovely. You're not the one who still has to drive back to the hotel."

"I thought you were going back to your mansion."

"You think this snow is bad? There must be a blizzard going on the mountain top and the last thing I need is for my car to die and leave me to run the rest way up the mountain." Illumi explained. "It's not undoable, but it is rather unpleasant and I'd rather not do it unless absolutely necessary. So I'll spend the night in the hotel and wait for the blizzard to subside before returning home. Or leaving for my next mission, depending on what Mother has for me."

Bleach spent some moments in silence, thinking that she should just exit the car and leave Illumi to deal with his problems on his own. So what if he had another hour-long drive just because he had taken her home? She didn't own him anything; he _offered_ her a ride.

Instead, she reluctantly said:

"Don't try to see anything into what I'm about to say but… you can crash in my couch if you want to."

For moments Illumi just stared at her with his large eyes that quickly made Bleach turn her face away in embarrassment.

"Look, I was just trying to thank you for the ride. If you rather go ba-"

The word caught in her mouth when she heard the man pull up the hand brake and remove the key from the ignition.

"I accept your offer." He spoke huskily, mouth suddenly uncomfortably close to her ear. " _Bleach."_

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever." The thief dismissed, pushing his face away from her as if his voice didn't just send delicious tingles down her spine. "Just remember you're sleeping on the couch."

"Of course." Illumi agreed with a docile smile. "Now let's go up before we freeze in this car. It won't take long now that the heating is off."

Without looking at him Bleach nodded and both left the car.

* * *

All the way up the thief's apartment, they remained in silence. There was nothing to be said; Illumi had given her a ride and she was returning the favour by letting him sleep on her couch. Nothing more.

The idea of him going back to that drunk brunette didn't bother the woman. At all.

… _Fine. Maybe a little_.

As Bleach disappeared inside her suite to retrieve some blankets for him, Illumi observed her apartment with very attentive eyes and was fairly pleased at finding that his surrounding corresponded almost perfectly to his expectations.

The apartment showed Bleach had made no economy in order to ensure her comfort but at the same time didn't bother with keeping up any appearances she didn't have. The TV room was equipped with the newest TV model and home theatre system, meanwhile the kitchen didn't have much to show besides standard electronic appliances and a couple of tall benches for the small kitchen island that seemed to serve as her dining area. The woman bought her furniture accordingly to her preferences alone, not even bothering to fulfil the needs of any eventual guest.

_She doesn't even try to disguise just how egocentric she truly is._

"I'm using the only duvet because of the cold so I only have these throw blankets to spare." Bleach announced with a frown as she walked back in the room, carrying the two blankets in her arms. "I think you can just fold them in half or... I don't know."

"It's comfortable in here with the heating. This will do just fine."

Bleach nodded and quickly handed Illumi the blankets, avoiding any sort of prolonged eye-contact, something that amused him greatly.

"I'm going to bed now. If you need anything, don't wake me. I don't care." The woman spoke in a dismissive tone.

As she walked away, Bleach found strange that the assassin didn't make any sort of indecent request to join her in bed but decided not to dwell on it and just go to sleep. She was too tired to play games with him.

She should've expected that Illumi was about to start round 2.

* * *

Bleach woke up in the middle of the night feeling slightly cold, which was weird, considering her bedroom's window was shut and she had a flannel pyjamas on her body, as well as one thick duvet over her. It took her some time to realize the heating system wasn't working but when she did she was ready to chew some asses.

"Fucking idiots can't keep the heating working through the night." The thief grumbled as she reached for the intercom phone standing on the bedside table close to her and clumsily dialled the reception number. "Leon, what the fuck is happening with my heating now?"

" _I'm really sorry, Miss Bleach. I don't know what happened but the central system seems to have stopped working. Cris went down to find out what is going. We will have the heating working asap."_

"You better hurry, else I'm going down there myself and we both know that's not going to end well for either of you."

With that, Bleach ended the call, slamming the phone on its base with more force than necessary. She glared at the ceiling for some minutes before deciding it would be useless to try and sleep through the cold.

She was just about to get off the bed and make herself a cup of coffee when someone knocked on her bedroom's door, making her startle in surprise.

"Are you awake, lovely?"

The thief sighed in relief at hearing Illumi's voice and remembering what had happened some hours before.

_Completely forgot the shit was here._

"Yeah." Bleach called out in an annoyed voice. "What do you want?"

Somehow, Illumi understood that as an invitation to come in and soon made his way into the woman's bedroom with his blankets in hand.

"It is cold."

Thanks to the moonlight that managed to sneak in from the corridor through the now open door, the thief could effectively stare at the assassin's standing figure with her most murderous glare. "No shit."

"What happened?"

"The central heating isn't working."

"I see…"

Bleach thought – _hoped_ – that was the end of it, but next thing she knew her bedroom door was closed and Illumi had added his throw blankets to the duvet covering her form. Then he was circling her bed, moving towards the side that Bleach occupied less in her diagonal form of sleeping in her bed.

"What the fuck do you _think_ you're doing?" Bleach demanded, feeling the hairs stand up on the back of her neck.

"I'm getting ready to sleep in the bed with you."

" _Fuck no_." Bleach snarled, moving her body in a way that made her somehow occupy 99.9% of the bed surface. "Get out of my room."

Illumi sighed dramatically. "Don't be childish, lovely. I won't do anything to you that you don't want me to."

"I don't care! You're not-"

"Do you wish to stay warm or not?"

"Not if it means having to cuddle with you!" Bleach shot back without a second thought.

"I think this bed is more than large enough for each of us to sleep in their own corner." The assassin stated in a bored tone before allowing a mischievous smirk to stretch on his lips. "Though I don't think that's what you really want."

Bleach scowled. "Fuck you."

"Yes. That's exactly what I thought you'd want."

The woman's scowl deepened and she had to hold back the urge to kick at the smart-ass close to her bed as to not risk having her covers slid off her body. Due to her prolonged stay in Meteor City she had very little tolerance to the cold and, if her exposed nose was any indication, it was freezing outside her duvets.

_Who am I kidding? It's freezing in here as well!_

"Bleach-" Illumi began with a hint of annoyance in his voice that Bleach couldn't tell if it was fake or not. She hoped for the later. "-We're both tired and cold. Judging from the blizzard outside the temperature will drop even lower through the rest of the night and the early morning. Just let me into the bed. This way we both can use three covers instead of one, as well as take in the other's body heat."

"I don't want to take in your body heat…" The thief grumbled, though the idea of having something warm beneath the duvet with her wasn't without its appeal.

_Maybe I should get one of those heating blankets. Gods, that would feel so good..._

"Bleach."

The woman snapped back to attention at the call of her name and resumed to glare at Illumi's shadow through the darkness of the room. Finally, she spoke.

"I want you to remove all of your needles from your body."

"I left them in your TV room."

"Not that I don't believe you or anything, but I don't. I'm going to check to make sure."

Illumi raised an eyebrow that Bleach couldn't really see. "And you accuse me of trying to take advantage of the situation? I'm not the one proposing a-"

There was a flash of yellow light and suddenly Bleach was holding Iaro's staff in her hands.

"-body-search. What are you doing?"

"Something I've learned a couple of weeks ago." The thief answered.

Suddenly, Illumi felt a light pull on the metal button of his pants and the zipper of his jacket.

"Magnetic attraction?" The assassin more stated than asked, honestly surprised with the thief's new skill. "That must come in handy during your missions."

"It does." Bleach confirmed, allowing Iaro's staff to disappear again and them scooting to one side of the bed. "It seems you're speaking the truth. You're allowed to lay down."

The man wasted no time and quickly snuck in beneath the covers, keeping his distance from Bleach as promised.

"Good night, lovely."

From the moment he bribed the doormen of Bleach's building to turn off the heating to the moment she allowed him into her bed, Illumi intended not to actively touch the woman. He'd let her come to him. In her sleep, she didn't deny her wants as she did when awake; it was a matter of time before he had the woman snuggling in his arms and when morning came, she'd have no way to blame him. She'd have to admit to herself she had come to him, and that would be the perfect moment to bring back up his proposition of becoming exclusive.

However, almost an hour passed and Bleach didn't fall asleep. Her body was tense in its enforced foetal position. She wasn't trembling but it was clear that the cold didn't allow her to relax.

It went against his plans, but Illumi was running out of patience with the stubborn woman and next thing he knew, he had her in his arms, keeping her back firmly pressed against his chest as his knees fit themselves against hers.

He felt Bleach's muscles tense even more at the sudden contact and braced himself for her explosion of – _fake_ – outrage and anger. However, the woman remained silent and her body slowly relaxed, as if being lulled to sleep by his heat alone.

Illumi smiled in victory and breathed in the scent of her hair, allowing himself to rest his eyes as well. Maybe he would even sleep. His last mission was tiring and he knew Bleach wouldn't do anything to him while he rested.

And her warmth and soft form pressed against him made for a most inviting situation to fall asleep.

* * *

Bleach, surprisingly, was the first to wake on the following morning, well-rested and warm.

She could feel Illumi pressed against her back and his soft exhales on the back of her neck and, instead of being disgusted by it as she knew she should, she only felt comfort in this position.

After some minutes of basking in the man's embrace she slowly turned around, until she was facing Illumi. She felt her heart skip a beat at how different he seemed when he was sleeping, with his eyes closed and slack jaw. Illumi had always been sexy and _hot_ in her eyes, but for the first he struck her as beautiful.

She didn't think she had ever wanted to kiss someone as badly as she wanted to kiss Illumi at the moment. Not even Ging.

_What is happening to me?_

Without even realizing what she was doing, Bleach raised her hand to Illumi's cheek. As soon as her thumb started to caress the soft skin there, the man's large eyes opened, trapping her in their endless darkness.

She felt Illumi take hold of her hand and pull it from his cheek to his mouth. He kissed every knuckle and every pad of her fingers, and she could do nothing but stare at those bottomless eyes.

Never breaking his spell over her, Illumi pushed her back gently until she was laying beneath him. Slowly, hesitantly even, he lowered his mouth to hers and whispered:

"I want to pleasure you. Will you let me? Will you be _mine_?"

Bleach's breath caught in her throat and she felt blood rush to her face and neck at an alarming speed.

"Illumi..."

"Yes?"

The thief hesitated, but the accelerated beating of her heart, the fog in her mind and the fire pooling in her groin left no room for argument. She knew what she wanted, and she would take it. Before her brain had any time to protest, Bleach raised her head from the pillow, planting her lips over Illumi's firmly.

"I'm yours."

Those words seemed to light a bonfire inside the man's dark orbs and he could only fall into the woman bellow him. For hours to follow, he gave to her everything she asked of him.

In return, he took all that she had to offer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise that the "sharing body heat" is the last overwhelming cliché I'll abuse in this story. I didn't plan to write this but the snow context really begged me to do it =.=
> 
> So... I hope you enjoyed the chapter despite the cliché. Again, Merry Christmas for you all and see you all in 2017! :)
> 
> Kisses,  
> RedVoid


	61. Relationship (?)

"This is far better than meeting up in a hotel."

Bleach couldn't help but raise a sceptical eyebrow at the assassin lounging on her sofa as she walked into the TV room with a bowl of microwave popcorn in her hands.

"You'd rather be in my apartment than in a 5 stars hotel? Really?"

"Really." Illumi answered with an exaggerated smile, pulling the comforter and scooting a bit to the side so Bleach could fit with him in the L-shaped corner of the sofa. "It's more relaxing. You seem to be much more at ease here and I do like the idea of being allowed into your personal space."

Bleach was too preoccupied staring wide-eyed at the space Illumi had cleared for her – so she could sit right by his side, _snuggling_ with him – to respond.

_I'm already regretting agreeing to this shit._

"Listen." She began in a serious tone, taking a seat a good foot away from the assassin. "We need to talk about… _this_."

To the man's credit, his smile didn't falter in the slightest as he waited for her to continue.

"What exactly will this exclusive thing require of us? What _are_ we?"

Illumi knew this question would come and, although he felt in perfect control of the situation, he didn't really know how to answer. It was his first time in such an arrangement.

"You tell me." He suggested with a shrug. "While I know your experience with medium/long term relationships is limited, I still think it's more extensive than mine. Léonie was the closest thing to an actual romantic relationship I ever had and we both know how well that turned out."

"You never had a girlfriend?" Bleach blurted before her brain could even register the possibility of that question being offensive.

"Is it really so surprising? I spend my time going from country to country to complete my missions in the name of my family. I don't have time to waste on cultivating such an useless relationship as that between girlfriend and boyfriend."

"I just figured you had a list of possible brides to go through. With the way you all are obsessed with family and your "family business", I was certain you'd have an arranged marriage planned or something." Bleach spoke with a shrug.

Illumi regarded the woman for some moments, surprised that she would make such assumption. It was rather close to reality.

"There is a list somewhere, but I'm not _going through it_." Illumi admitted. "It's still too soon to resort to that."

"What? Waiting for _the one_?" Bleach teased with a smirk, putting a handful of popcorn in her mouth.

"My parents are." The man replied easily. "They still think I'll find a spouse that I love so they are postponing the list as much as they can."

The woman's smirk dropped - as did some of the popcorns inside her mouth - and she couldn't help but frown at Illumi's words. He seemed completely uncaring of his future matrimonial status, as if whatever his parents decided was fine with him.

"…I take it you're in favour of arranged marriage?"

"I don't really care."

It was clear that Bleach wouldn't be able to get anything more from Illumi on the matter so she quickly changed the subject, refocusing the conversation on _their_ own excuse of a relationship.

"Whatever. Back to the original topic: rules for this exclusivity shit."

An amused smirk pulled at the corners of the assassin's mouths as he nodded his head, urging the woman to continue.

"Rule number one: we're NOT dating."

The smirk only widened at Bleach's desperate announcement. It wasn't even a rule, just a statement to make her feel better about the whole situation.

_It doesn't matter if we're "dating" lovely. What matters is that you'll grow ever more dependent on me._

"What is rule number two?"

Bleach scowled and glared at the assassin as she thought about what exactly would be the rules. Truth be told, she hadn't thought of anything besides that their "romantic" relationship wouldn't be about love or even companionship; it would be about sex and only that.

However, as she stared Illumi, Bleach felt her resolution falter. He appeared so inviting in that position, sitting at the corner of her L-shaped sofa and with that comforter pulled open, calling out for her to join him. The little light that came form the outside and struggled to pass through the window was white and weak despite being close to noon, and it involved his body in a way that made him seem as if he was glowing.

_That's the epitome of irony. Illumi, glowing._

"Well, if it's hard to come up with something, why don't you let me fill in? After all, I'm half of this whole thing." Illumi offered, crawling over the couch to take a handful of popcorn from Bleach's bowl. "We no longer engage in sexual activity of any sort with other people. Not even kissing."

Bleach shrugged as she imitated Illumi and put a handful of popcorn in her mouth. "It's not like I go around kissing strangers on the streets."

"True." Illumi agreed after taking his time to chew the popcorn in his mouth. "But if you ever feel like kissing from now on, it's me you come to."

The thief felt pieces of popcorn in her mouth go down the wrong tube at Illumi's words and started to cough violently in a reflexive attempt to expel those remains from her trachea.

"Don't act so shocked. You couldn't keep your lips away from mine this morning."

"That was… a… one-time… thing." Bleach managed to get out in-between coughs. "Don't you… expect… that-"

The words were pushed back into her mouth by Illumi laying his lips over hers. It was gentle and quick, but more than enough to silence the woman and leave her wide-eyed and with her jaw on the floor.

"A one-time thing? You sure about that?" The man asked in a husky whisper, moving from her mouth to her ear. "Because you seem to feel so good when I kiss you."

Bleach pulled back so she could stare at Illumi in the eye. She knew that those endless irises would either scare her away or pull her in all the way. And she decided to allow him this definitive role; after all, as he said before, he was half of the whole thing.

And before she knew it, Bleach was in.

"I…"

"Yes?"

"I want to kiss you."

Illumi smiled and pushed the bowl of popcorn to the floor.

"Do as you like."

Bleach hauled her body against the man's, slamming her mouth over his clumsily. Soon enough, both had joined the bow of popcorn on the floor.

* * *

"You're not going home?"

"Don't pretend that you're not happy that I'm still here."

Bleach pouted and raised her head from Illumi's chest, allowing the duvet to slide down her shoulders and bare her breasts to him.

"You're the one who said you'd return home as soon as the sun came up."

" _If_ the weather allowed and, as you can see-" Illumi pointed to the window by their side, from which they could a violent blizzard raging outside. "-it doesn't."

Bleach seemed unconvinced but she was too comfortable in her position - with half of her body sprawled over his and the other half snuggled on the rug of her TV room – to argue. So, with a final shrug of her shoulders, she laid her head back down on the man's chest and closed her eyes, allowing a moan of approval to leave her lips when Illumi laid his hand atop of her head and started to gently run his fingers through her hair.

* * *

"Did you have fun, Illumi?"

The assassin hadn't noticed his grandfather lurking in the shadows of the forest surrounding their home, but that didn't mean he was surprised by the sudden approach and his question. His family wasn't made of idiots; they had certainly noticed that he and Bleach had been meeting for some time now – maybe since the beginning – and it was about time they had a say in the matter.

That didn't mean he wasn't up to beat around the bush for a while. Illumi enjoyed having a feel of the situation before admitting to anything explicitly.

"As much as one can have in a mission." The assassin answered without hesitation, feigning confusion at the question. "Sorry for the delay. I was snowed in the hotel for the last couple of days."

Zeno sighed tiredly and regarded his grandson for some moments, trying to figure out the best wayto deal with the matter at hand. Kikyo had more patience for this sort of games than he did and would surely be able to extract more from Illumi than the senior assassin, but he didn't think it prudent to involve her so soon in this budding "relationship" between her son and the thief. The matriarch of the Zoldyck already had to deal with Bleach influencing two of her children, plus Alluka - even if she wasn't ready to recognize the child as legitimately hers yet. Zeno wasn't sure how she'd react to finding out a third one was falling under the thief's influence.

_If she hasn't found out yet._

"Illumi, let's not play games." Zeno began tiredly. "I know you and Bleach have been meeting behind my back."

"Grandfather-"

Zeno raised his hand in a firm but calm movement, immediately stopping his grandson from finishing what would undoubtedly be just a rehearsed response.

"I'm not here to criticize you. You're a grown man and what you do in your free time and who you do it with is none of my business. However, I am bound by contract to keep you away from her." At that moment, the senior assassin pulled a thin folder from his garb and offered it to him. "I gave you time, thinking it would all stop in a few days. But it seems this arrangement you both have going on is not ceasing anytime soon."

"What is this?" The younger assassin asked, looking down at the folder.

"A new contract for Bleach. It's much like her previous one, only without any restrictions regarding you." Zeno explained. "Have her sign it or cease your meetings altogether. I don't want to be responsible for dealing with your troubles should anything go wrong."

"Of course." Illumi agreed, taking the folder in his hands. "I should've attended to this matter sooner."

Zeno nodded at his grandson and turned his back to him, ready to return home. Before he disappeared into the forest though, he shot over his shoulder:

"Just so you know. Whatever it is the relationship you have with that thief… I don't disapprove. Neither does your father."

Before Illumi could respond, his grandfather disappeared from sight, leaving him to mull over the meaning of those words. He wondered if his grandfather saw their relationship for what truly was – him trying to control Bleach once again – or if he thought something else of it.

_It seems he believes Bleach and I are in a true romantic relationship. Does he honestly not expect me to have a hidden agenda for her?_

Or maybe…Zeno believed he _had_ a hidden agenda for Bleach, but didn't think he'd follow through with it. Maybe he believed the means would somehow become the ends in Illumi's plans.

The assassin felt like smirking at his grandfather's presumption; it was ludicrous.

_Grandfather isn't a Manipulator like mother and me. He can't help but get it wrong sometimes._

Despite thinking that, a part of Illumi's mind was tainted by that supposition and suddenly the assassin felt a weight settle on his shoulders. His grandfather was no Manipulator, but he had plenty of life experience; it would be foolish of him not to take his view of the matter into consideration.

It was a very slim possibility that Zeno's idea would translate into reality, but it was a possibility nonetheless.

Somewhere in their power play, Illumi could fall for Bleach as she was falling for him. That _would not_ happen, but if it did, it would be too ironic for him not to find it amusing and he just had to chuckle at the notion.

Even to him, that chuckle sounded forced.

* * *

Still, life went on.

Bleach signed the contract and both continued to meet regularly at the thief's place. She had tried to relocate their trysts back to the hotel, but Illumi always managed to frustrate her attempts, either by manipulating her with words and circumstances or by outright denying her if she insisted on meeting there. And more often than not, he'd hang out for a couple of hours after sex, something Bleach only allowed because she was usually too tired to kick him out of her bed.

But there were also occasions when Illumi stayed despite her not being tired. He'd refuse to leave the bed right away after sex and more often than not managed to keep Bleach in there with him, sprawled over his chest.

Like today.

"At least pass me the remote for me to turn on the TV." The thief whined, glaring down at the man beneath her.

The assassin smirked in a very infuriating manner. "Say please."

Bleach's glare grew hotter and she moved to get the remote from her nightstand herself. When her hand closed around the apparatus, Illumi's arms closed around her body, pressing her tight against himself so she'd make that outraged sound that almost had him outwardly laughing at how convincingly she could pretend to dislike his advances when they both knew she loved every moment of it.

Bleach did let out a gasp of outrage as her hand clenched around the remote out of reflex, turning the TV inadvertently.

"You're an asshole!" The thief cursed at Illumi and was about to do continue when the feminine voice coming from the TV caught her attention, making her still her body and mouth to pay attention. She could swear she had heard a familiar name.

"What's wrong, lov-"

Bleach shushed Illumi harshly, pushing away from him so she could glare at the TV. The assassin didn't protest, sensing the sudden serious mood in the bedroom. Curious, he also fixed his eyes on the screen, finding the anchor woman of the local news occupying it. Not _the_ local news, he found, but _a_ local news of a place he didn't know.

" _-nity is shocked with the crime that took place on the afternoon of yesterday. High school student Alec Mitchel was the victim of express kidnapping as he returned home from school in broad day-light. The 16-year-old teenager was found unconscious and bruised inside the church's dumpster close to dawn of the following day. Right now he is in Saint Luke's hospital. His condition is stable, but we still don't know the extent of his injuries. So far-"_

Next thing Illumi knew, Bleach was marching around the room, retrieving her clothes from the floor and putting them on at record speed before stuffing some essentials in a backpack with an icy scowl on her lips and hellfire in her eyes.

"I take it you know the victim." Illumi more stated than asked.

Bleach grunted in response and zipped her bag.

"You're actually going there because of this?"

The thief threw the bag over her shoulder at the same time she threw the keys to the assassin without sparing him a second glance.

"Lock the place when you leave."

And with that, she was gone.

"Will do, lovely." The assassin answered to the air - not without annoyance in his voice - as he returned his gaze to the TV. "Right after I finish watching the news and searching your place."

* * *

Illumi had to hand it to the thief, she didn't leave any clues behind her.

Absolutely nothing in the woman's apartment could lead him to his Killu – or any other person for that matter –; the Mafia had taught the woman very well as to keep those precious to her secret and out of harm's way. It was both fascinating and infuriating.

Just like watching her simply leave the bed for a trip across the country without anything that as much as a resemblance of an explanation.

_Alec Mitchel. That's a name I've never heard before._

Illumi wondered about the boy. Too young to be a former client and abuser, and too old to be a bastard son, but still a character from the woman's life before the Hunter Exam. A character important enough for Bleach to drop everything and go to his aid without batting an eye.

More than that, it seemed that Bleach was actively checking up on that boy's well-being; Illumi noticed those news came from a local channel of a city that was located in another continent altogether. The thief must've found a way to pirate that channel and include it into her TV signature.

_This may be worth looking into._

"Millu?" Illumi spoke into his cell phone. "I need you to hack a cable TV account, IP address and internet connection. I'm sending you the information as we speak." He could've requested for some espionage equipment to install in the apartment, but he doubted the thief wouldn't search the place after leaving him alone like that, so the assassin refrained, choosing to settle for the information Milluki would find.

He was about to turn off the TV and leave the place when the news returned from the commercials, once again talking about the crime that had Bleach so disconcerted.

" _-Neither the family, the doctors, nor the local authorities have made any sort of statement about the case. However we have managed to talk with garbage collector Doe Johan, the man who found the victim's unconscious body in the church's dumpster:_

_"I was working as usual, getting the trash out the dumpsters and throwing it in the truck when I found the lad. Called the other boys to help me get him out real careful and got an ambulance in the way. We didn't move the lad much or anything, but it was easy to see he was pretty roughed up. He had the ugliest black eye I seen in my whole life and his neck had a purple handprint in it. It was real nasty business. I can't believe someone would do such thing to a lad so young."_

Illumi remembered the purple bruises around Bleach's neck back when Iadbo tried to murder her and just knew that the boy's death hadn't been the objective of the crime, and neither was money, judging by how little time the kidnappers kept the boy before discarding him.

" _-Just in: senior officer Louis Clark has walked out of the hospital and called the press surrounding to make a statement. Here, we'll show live footage:_

" _Alec Mitchel just woke up and Detective Lana Attaway is currently taking his statement about what happened in the last 24 hours. The boy and his family are going through a traumatic moment in their lives and we ask that the press respect their privacy. We also advise that the city's citizens redouble their attention when walking in the streets and do not let children and teenagers leave their houses alone. We suspect more than one person was involved in this crime and that they followed Alec Mitchel from school until an opportunity window was opened. In a few minutes, the detective will make a more detailed statement about this terrible crime and the suspects. That's all for now."_

As the reporters on site shot loud questions that went ignored by the officer, Illumi reached the conclusion that the authorities were keeping a great deal of information from the media. The physical exam of the boy alone would be enough to reveal a great deal of what happened to him. And the only reason the assassin could think of to keep information like that from the media was to spare the feelings of the victim and his family.

_A rape crime perhaps._

Now, _that_ would definitely make Bleach snap. If that boy was even remotely important to her, the assassin was certain the Hunter would find the boy's abusers and bring hell upon them.

_She might even kill them._

The assassin couldn't deny it: he was curious about what Bleach would do. The idea of her hunting down and killing her prey was simply mouth-watering. He wanted to see it all.

_I can spare a day or two._

Not allowing himself time to think his decision through and change his mind, the assassin put on his clothes and left the apartment, locking everything up as Bleach had requested.

He had a show to watch, and he was already late.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know. We were having such a nice time watching Illumi and Bleach do their strange dance and try and figure out their crazy-ass relationship and now we're about to jump back into heavy stuff?
> 
> Well, you know me. I LOVE emotional-draining drama! You couldn't expect that I'd keep things all nice and quiet for too long. XDXD
> 
> You guys remember Alec Mitchel? If not, you might want to check out chapter 4 again. ;)
> 
> Anyway, hope you all enjoyed this last bit of "domestic bliss" (though only this chapter and the end of the previous one actually had anything that kind-of resembled that) between Illumi and Bleach! I'm hopeful that you'll like the next mini-arc as well :D
> 
> Also, I was going through some old stuff of mine and found a couple of doodles I made years ago for this fic. I posted it on my tumblr (redvoid-40 DOT tumblr DOT com) and deviantart (cy5000 DOT deviantart DOT com) if you want to check it out. 
> 
> Kisses,  
> RedVoid


	62. Back To The Family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for taking so long to post this, but college is keeping me rather busy. This year I've began the last cycle of my graduation and it involves two years of internships that may keep me vary busy during the whole week.
> 
> Don't worry though, even it I take longer to update, I have no intentions of giving up on this ;)

Bleach spent a long time in front of the hospital, sitting on the edge of a bench as she watched patients, doctors, nurses and reporters march back and forth as the snow fell softly all around them. Their steps were fast and filled with purpose. The same purpose filled Bleach's whole body and was bursting through her biting her nails and her restless legs, but still she couldn't make her way into the hospital.

_How can I face them? They took me in and for two years took care of me as if I was part of their family. And when they needed me the most, I wasn't there. Do I dare to show my face to them? I never visited, never called. They did so much for me and I never even bothered to reach them until Alec's name showed up in the news._

The thief felt tears well up in her eyes and pushed the heels of her hands in them, as if that would make the waterworks stop.

_Fuck me. I'm the worst._

"Tea?"

Bleach startled at the warm voice that reached her ears and she raised wide eyes to find a cup of warm tea waiting for her in the air.

"Milk and honey. I remember."

There was no stopping the tears from streaking down the woman's face as her eyes now focused on the owner of the voice. His emerald eyes were as warm as she remembered, but there was also a heart-wrenching shadow of pain and misery in them. And his mouth was twisted in the most painful smile Bleach had ever seen, trying so hard to hide the pain he was going through.

"Mr Mitchel…"

The name left her mouth in a pained whisper and her hand raised in an automatic movement to retrieve the tea. The beverage was lowered, and so was her gaze.

"You've been sitting here for more than an hour. We can see you from the room's window." Mr Mitchel clarified, taking a seat on the bench by the woman's side. "We barely recognized you from afar."

"I… I'm sorry."

Bleach regretted the words as soon as they left her lips; they made Mr Mitchel's eyes water up at once.

"So am I."

The woman's heart tightened at seeing the usually warm and welcoming features close in an agonized expression that didn't belong in the face of such a good person.

"Mr Mitchel-" She began, laying a comforting hand on the man's shoulder. "-I'm here. And I'm a Hunter now. I can help."

"You can help, but not by being a Hunter." The man spoke slowly, turning his sad green eyes to hers. "Just be our family again. Right now is all you can do for us, for Alec."

Bleach opened her mouth, ready to protest but the words stuck in her throat. So she settled for a simple nod of her head. It was enough for Mr Mitchel to force a smile on his face and stand up to lead Bleach to his son's room in the hospital.

* * *

Bleach stood still at the door of Alec's room, watching its inhabitants with wide eyes.

Mrs Mitchel was as beautiful as she remembered; well-dressed and seeming ten years younger than she actually was. The only difference was that, much like Mr Mitchel, her warm smile had given place to a miserable and forced replica.

Gabby, the energetic and borderline hyperactive little girl, had grown a lot but somehow remained the same. Now with seven years, she still was that cheerful presence, jumping up and down as she showed her brother something in her tablet to cheer him up.

And Alec…

The little bright boy she remembered had grown into a teenager of fifteen years with a shadow over his eyes. He seemed to have gained many centimetres in height but his build and face still were delicate and she couldn't help but think he was as pretty as a girl. He had his mother's blonde hair and his father green eyes, and she was sure in a couple of years he'd grow to be even more bautiful than both of them.

Bleach was taken from her thoughts when, with a calm movement, Alec took the tablet from his sister's hands and lowered it, asking her to calm down for a moment. Then, he turned his green and haunted eyes to the thief standing in the doorway.

"It really is you." The boy spoke in a low voice. "I thought mom and dad were seeing things."

Gabby and Mrs Mitchel turned to Bleach, the first positively delighted and the later doing her best to appear so.

"I saw the news and I… I had to come." Bleach spoke honestly, lowering her gaze to the floor. "I'm sorry. I should've visited earlier, in better circumstances. I-"

"Everyone can reach out when everything is alright." Mrs Mitchel put in, giving Bleach a motherly smile that was all too familiar to her. "It takes someone who truly cares to come in times of need."

The blush that rose to Bleach's neck and cheeks was remarkable, prompting her to lower her gaze to the floor and try to hide it. "I…should've come sooner. But… thanks."

"Bleach?"

It was Alec who called her name and it was all she needed to push her embarrassment away and put on a comforting smile on her face. The boy's voice was low and hesitant but somewhere in it she could still detect the brightness and warmth that was all him.

"Yes, Alec?"

"I'm happy you came."

The thief's smile became just a bit more relieved.

"Me too."

* * *

If there was something Illumi possessed in abundance, it was patience. People say that patience is a virtue and that works for assassins too. E _specially_ for assassins.

So he calmly watched the developments inside Alec Mitchel's hospital room with attentive eyes, no matter how slow things were moving in there.

It had been very useful putting a nurse under his Manipulation so he could plant a hidden camera and a microphone in the boy's hospital room and watch everything from his hotel room at the end of the street, in the screen of his notebook.

_I'd never have guessed she lived as part of a normal family once. She doesn't really fit the part of daddy's little girl._

It was fascinating to watch Bleach interact with that oh-so ordinary family as if she belonged with them, as if she was just a regular young woman visiting her parents during her college break and not a Hunter that worked as a professional thief for the most notorious family of assassins in the world. All in all, the happenings in the room should be tedious due to how common they were but Illumi couldn't help but observe everything with eager eyes. He couldn't wait to see all that warm familiarity fall to shambles when the boy finally revealed the details of what was done to him and, most importantly, of _who_ did it to him.

The image of Bleach slitting some random criminal's throat as she emanated bloodlust from every pore of her body was enough to make Illumi sigh in satisfaction. He wanted to see it _so badly_.

_Calm down. Be patient. The wait is always worth it._

* * *

Visiting hours ended at 8pm and, since Bleach wasn't a blood relative she had to leave the hospital. To her surprise, Mr Mitchel didn't stay the night either; he and Mrs Mitchel were taking turns in spending the night with Alec since it was better to take Gabby home during the evening and to pre-school on the following day. The little girl was too full of energy to be stuck inside a hospital 24/7 and Alec had all but begged them not to let what happened to him affect his little sister.

"You're coming home with us." Mr Mitchel decided with a small smile. "We'll have dinner and catch up. It'll be nice. You can sleep in your old room; we've kept it clean and the bed is still there."

Bleach just smiled back and agreed to go with them. They would have dinner and catch up, and it would be nice.

But she didn't intend to sleep at all that night.

* * *

Ever since the attack, Alec's sleep had been superficial at best; he'd wake up at the slightest sound or when there was no sound at all. Those times it was his mind that startled him into consciousness showing him horrific memories of what was done to him.

This time was different. His sleep wasn't disturbed by sounds on the outside nor by the terrors on the inside but by something else entirely… a feeling. He _felt_ he should wake up, but not be alarmed. For the first night since the attack, he felt safe, as if some higher force was there to guard him and release hell upon anyone who tried to hurt him.

"Alec, it's me-"

_Ah._

The boy sat up in his bed and automatically his eyes went to his mother, sleeping soundly on the couch close to his bed, ready to go to him whenever he screamed for help. Then, slowly, his eyes roamed to the other side of his bed, where Bleach was standing. Her brown eyes seemed to glow in the darkness of the room as they observed every inch of him with explicit need to protect and guarded desire to destroy.

Alec knew then he could count on Bleach to be his bloody guardian angel. She would avenge him, even if it demanded of her to be bathed in blood from head to toe.

"-And I'm ready to make them pay. Just tell me how you want me to do it."

Alec furrowed his eyebrows and tilted his head to the side, silently asking Bleach to elaborate.

"Do you want me to bring them to the police or kill them? What will give you some sense of closure? No matter how small, I'll make sure you get it."

Alec's green eyes widened at the offer and he felt his heart slam on his ribcage, working double-pace to deal with the sudden discharge of adrenalin in his bloodstream.

"I…" The boy hesitated, settling his eyes on his mother's sleeping from before turning them to Bleach once again. "Could you take me somewhere? I don't want my mom to wake up."

Bleach nodded once and offered the boy her hand.

* * *

The snow that fell from the sky was as soft as it had been on the afternoon when Bleach had arrived to the hospital, making for a beautiful night. Unfortunately it was too cold to take Alec to the roof of the hospital so the thief settled for the empty medical comfort room in the tenth floor.

"…How did you manage to make a mold of one of the doctor's fingertips for us to get in here?"

Bleach smiled to Alec as she followed him inside the empty room and went to the coffee machine to get herself a cappuccino.

"A magician never reveals her secrets. But… maybe I'll teach you someday."

The relief that Bleach felt at seeing the smallest beginning of a real smile on the boy's lips was indescribable. It was unfortunate that it lasted for less than a second before the boy's expression turned haunted again.

Bleach saw tension coiling in all of the victim's muscles and immediately walked to him, laying a hand on his shoulder encouragingly.

"I know Alec. You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

Suddenly, bitterness took over the boy's eyes and he shoved Bleach's hand from his shoulder.

"You _know_? You know nothing Bleach. How could you know or understand? What they did to me- Don't presume to know how it feels. The press hasn't said anything yet but I'm sure you already found out. Those men beat and rap- They…"

The woman listened to the boy vent patiently, watching sadly as tears build up in his clear eyes as he struggled to finish what he wanted to say.

"They raped me."

Once again, Bleach reached out to the boy, taking both of his shoulders gently in her hands, putting herself in front of him so she could stare straight into his eyes, hoping to convey to him without words her emotions. Hoping to show him that she indeed knew what he was going through and that, in that moment, she and all of her abilities were at his disposal.

"I know. And I'll make them pay, in whatever way you choose. Their lives are in your hands now."

Alec's eyes doubled their size as tears fell freely down his face. Memories of years ago, of a time when he was infatuated with Bleach to the point of spending almost a whole hour just watching her curled up into herself and staring out of the window with dead eyes suddenly made a lot of sense. He had never understood how such a pretty girl could look so sad and broken but now…

"You…"

"Yes, I was." Bleach admitted, voice cold as ice. "I was a bit younger than you when it happened the first time."

"And-" Alec swallowed, lowering his gaze to the floor. He felt ashamed at lashing out at her. "-how did you get over it?"

Bleach sighed and pulled the boy to sit on the sofa close to her, holding his hand in both of hers as she shared with him bits of her past only Illumi knew about.

"Alec, I wish so much I could say it was easy… But for me it wasn't. When I was raped, I fell apart. I was completely alone in the world when it happened; I had no one to turn to so I turned to alcohol. I spent two years alone, drinking and doing bad things, never forgetting what it was that was done to me. I used to wake up from nightmares and cry to myself and whenever a man came near me, I always felt fear rise inside my chest. I thought I'd die young, drowned in my own vomit after getting drunk to the point of unconsciousness, and all because a vermin thought he had the right to do as he wanted to my body.

But I didn't. In the middle of that self-destructive suffering, someone reached out to me. He told me I was strong, he said I could get out of the vicious circle and lead a better life and that he would help me. He made me quit drinking, took me to a hospital so I could for once take care of my health, fed me and taught me. He taught me many things, from Math to physical combat. And, above all, he made me a Hunter.

It was because of him that I could grow out of my trauma. He gave me the support I needed to deal with what happened to me and he made sure that I would be able to prevent that from repeating itself. I won't lie to you, sometimes I still remember what was done to me; I don't think it'll ever come a day when I don't have to carry with me memories of the piece-of-shit who first raped me. But they aren't strong as they once were. They don't keep me from being happy any longer and they don't wake me at night either.

What I'm trying to say is that you'll never "get over it" but it'll come a time when it no longer hurts like this, when it no longer keeps you caged. There will be days, weeks and months that you won't remember this at all and, when you do remember, it'll no longer feel like a stab in your gut.

You have the support of your whole family, use it. They'll be there for you when you most need it, no matter what. And… don't ever let yourself believe that you've lost any of your worth because of what those men did to you. _They_ are less than worthless."

Alec's eyes suddenly hardened. "Yes, they are. And they are soon to be dead as well. Right?"

Bleach squeezed his hand and rose it to her lips, planting a light his to the boy's knuckles.

"I promise."

* * *

Illumi was a bit frustrated to watch Bleach leave the room with the boy, unknowingly running away from his prying eyes and ears. Fortunately he had a pretty good idea of what they'd talk about so he wasn't missing much, even if he did want to watch the woman's expressions and hear her voice.

 _Ah. They're back_.

The boy was lead back into his room by a calm Bleach gently pulling him by the hand. It was fascinating how she seemed to become a whole different person whenever she was with the boy and his family. While he had never pictured her as someone's daughter or sister, it was clear she could play the part well.

Or maybe she wasn't playing a part, maybe this was just a new side of her; a side that was happy to be part of a family and that truly belonged. For a second, Illumi wondered if she ever thought about starting her own family someday.

_What?_

The assassin blinked a couple of times at that unexpected thought and refocused his eyes on the screen. The boy had climbed in his bed and was staring down at his lap so Bleach could plant a gentle kiss on his forehead before leaving the room.

Illumi had half a mind to close the video now that Bleach was gone but hesitated. He wanted to watch the boy for a while longer.

Minutes after Bleach walked out of the room, he sat up on the bed and curled into himself, drawing his knees to his chest and raising his hands to cradle his head. Illumi saw the boy rock his body slightly forth and back, as if trying to sooth himself. The soft shaking of his shoulders indicated he was crying silently.

In the assassin's eyes that boy had suddenly morphed into a younger version of Bleach. Despite being a boy he was of a very delicate build and it was easy to replace his light blonde hair for the woman's white curls.

Illumi could easily see a teenage Bleach doing the exact same thing as the boy, hugging and consoling herself. The only difference was that, instead of being in a safe hospital room with her mother sleeping less than two-meters away, he imagined her naked and bruised in a run-down, dirty motel room with a disgusting old man snoring by her side, satisfied after scratching his itch by using the body of a girl half his age-

As the scene played itself inside the assassin's mind, Alec's mother was awaken by his crying and went to her son's side to hold and comfort him through the night.

-And if one of her many "Humbert Humbert"s woke up to the sounds of Bleach's younger self softly crying by herself, he wouldn't hold her but just add another bruise to her body.

" _I was only fourteen… How could you do that to me? I was a_ _ **child**_ _."_

The memory of Bleach's words hit Illumi like a punch in the stomach. The idea of a man forcing himself on her, especially at such young age made the assassin want to tighten his hands into fists as he felt an almost physical need to find and destroy her abusers.

And that urge made yet another memory come to surface:

" _Just so you know. Whatever it is the relationship you have with that thief… I don't disapprove. Neither does your father."_

His grandfather's words rang loudly in his ears and for a moment the assassin wondered if maybe he should've given them more importance than he did.

_I should return home. There is absolutely nothing of worth for me to do here; spying on Bleach isn't worth my time unless it's related to Killu._

With that thought in mind, Illumi finally closed the video and opened a page in the internet in order to buy an airship ticket back to Padokea.

Instead, he found out where the Mitchel family lived.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... lots of heavy stuff in this chapter. I really debated if I was going to write this arc or not. It's kind of masochist of me because I hate writing rape-related stuff, but at the same time it's such an important thing in Bleach's life (in a negative manner of course) that I just have to deal with it. X(
> 
> I hope this chapter was worth the wait. I know there wasn't much IllumixBleach here, but it's important for Bleach to have her own time as well, grow a bit every now and them.
> 
> Tell me what you think and until next time! :)
> 
> Kisses,  
> RedVoid


	63. Breaking Up (?)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I took a while to post this but college is keeping me so busy! I swear I'm doing my best to update this as fast as possible (especially since this arc is quite intense) but it's been a bit difficult T.T
> 
> Also... I just finished watching the BBC series 'Sherlock and I'm so hooked right now! OMG I haven't been this invested in a series since... well, HxH! I just might try my hand at a Molliarty fic someday. XDXD
> 
> Fear not though! I promise not to start anything new without wrapping up this fic (or at least without being 100% sure it wouldn't affect my updates here) ;D
> 
> Anyway, I really hope this chapter is worth the wait! I did all I could to finish this asap and still keep the quality I know you deserve and here it is. Enjoy! S2

Bleach had heard before that about 90% of the cases of sexual abuse happened inside a close social circle. Close friends, uncles, father-in-laws, brothers, fathers… they were the main source of abuse in a person's life, especially at a young age.

However, this was the first time the thief was actually witnessing something close to it and it made bile rise in her throat.

_So you two are the ones who did that to Alec-_

The Hunter was standing on the rooftop of Alec's high school building, watching two men arguing in hushed voices in front of the parking lot, occasionally pausing to nod and smile at the passing students saying goodbye to them.

_-His own teachers. Disgusting._

* * *

" _I was walking home from school and they approached me, slowed down the car. They asked me about my Art project, said they had some suggestions for me. And this project… it means a lot for me – or at least it did. I was going to present it in the school cultural fair and Eva Corsano – she's a famous art appraiser if you don't know - was going to be present so I wanted everything to be perfect. I wanted to impress her so badly… and Professor Laharn used to teach Art History in Queen's College and Professor Arken had his own fifteen minutes of fame with his paintings when he was younger so when they offered me some help… I couldn't say no. I jumped in the car with them so they could take me back to school and we could work a bit on my project. But… they took me somewhere else. Arken said he had a studio not too far from there but… we started going too far and I started getting scared. I asked to go back but Laharn just smiled and turned around to put his hand on my leg. He told me to stay calm but I couldn't and I started to freak out and scream for them to take me back and then he jumped to the back seat and-"_

* * *

" _They told me I'd never have a chance to become a great artist if I ever told anyone anything. They said they'd ruin my reputation before it even started, more than they ruined my body."_

* * *

" _I'm so scared, Bleach."_

* * *

Arken and Laharn seemed to have finished their talk and started moving, making their way towards a black Sedan with dark tinted windows. It came as no surprise to Bleach that the two predators that inhabited the school were best buddies and went home together.

_So convenient for me._

The Hunter sneered in disgust and retrieved a throwing needle from the inside of her sleeve – it was much like Illumi's but with the upside of having a GPS-locator in it – and, using Shu to strengthen it, threw it on the black Sedan, successfully piercing its bodywork.

_That night of throwing needles with Illumi sure is showing its worth._

Immediately, she retrieved her GPS-radar from her pocket and turned it on, fake brown eye going wide when a small red dot started blinking in the screen as it made its way through the map of the city.

_Could it be you're going to the art studio? Oh, the irony._

* * *

"I'm leaving town."

Laharn sighed exasperatedly, moving to the cabinet in the corner of the room to pour himself a drink. Arken was freaking out as expected. He knew the man would break down as soon as they dumped Mitchel in the dumpster. When it was time to ripe the benefits of their plan he didn't complain but now...

"Don't look at me like this. He'll talk, Laharn. I know he will."

"Like you did when your teacher did the same to you in fifth grade?" Laharn asked, not without bite. He saw his colleague and accomplice hesitate and couldn't help but smirk. "He won't and you know it, Arken. That boy is a social outcast; his art is all he has and he'll do anything to see it flourish."

"…It's different, Laharn." Arken resumed, now pacing from side to side in anxiety. "What Sancht did to me wasn't like that. He never used force on me and we… Gods, we beat that kid. And he has parents. He may be an outcast in school but his family supports him. He'll tell them."

Laharn downed his drink and poured himself another glass. "He won't. He's too scared of what will happen then. Mitchel hates exposure and he will do his all not to involve cops and lawyers and reporters in this. He'll recover quietly in that hospital and go back to school." After downing his drink, he smiled. "Then he'll approach us. You'll see Arken, that boy will come to us again. Just like you did with Sancht."

"That was different! I had no one in my life and Sancht was the first one that gave me any sort of attention. And he-"

"He what? He didn't hit you so he didn't abuse you? Who are you trying to convince: me or yourself?"

Arken stopped his nervous pacing and whipped his head in Laharn's direction, ready to lash out… but hesitated.

"You didn't tell anyone because you were scared, and it'll be the same with Mitchel. He's too soft to make this go through trial."

**"He won't have to-"**

Both criminals startled and turned to the direction the voice was coming from and Laharn let his glass fall to the ground at finding a feminine figure dressed all in black and wearing a blood-curling white mask with an unnervingly wide smile.

**"-Because he has me."**

Before any of the men could take in a breath to scream, they had fallen to the floor, unconscious.

* * *

It was easier than she thought it would be, to tie the two rapists' elbows, wrists, knees and ankles together as well as gag them by shoving their own socks down their throats and keeping them there with duct tape. She thought she'd feel at least a little bit sick at this moment, especially after hearing how one of the shits was also abused in his childhood.

But truth was: she didn't give a fuck.

Fuck all of that psychology shit about how the abused becomes the abuser, fuck that he went through bad shit in his life as well, fuck him and all in his life because he had messed with someone important to her. And he was going to pay.

Most importantly, he was never going to do anything like that with Alec or anyone else again.

The only question was: would she make them suffer before killing them? Bleach knew that torturing those men wouldn't be anything less than they deserved. They were vermin and they deserved to be squashed in the most painful manner possible.

However, the thief wasn't sure she had the stomach to actively torture someone. She had watched Mafia agents do unimaginable things to their victims and just imagining herself in the role of butcher made bile rise in her throat.

Bleach took off her mask and pressed into her eyeballs with her forefinger and thumb.

_Decisions, decisions._

Cold sweat started to sprout on the whole expanse of her skin as the realization that those men's lives were completely in her hands. They were hers to do with as she pleased.

_Better do so while they're still asleep. Less empathy and all that shit._

Of course, Arken chose just that moment to open his wide and tear-filled eyes and focus them on Bleach's narrowed, hate-filled ones. For a moment, that terrified gaze almost convinced the Hunter she was staring back at another human being.

Which she was but, you know… not really.

Immediately he tried to cry and plead, but the gag in his mouth didn't allow anything more than muffled sounds to leave him.

"It's no use." Bleach spoke, voice too tired to have any bite in it. "I'm going to kill you both and there's nothing you can do about it."

Arken's muffled protests grew more desperate and he started to trash his body as much as his bound members allowed him to, only succeeding in rolling to the side and stumbling upon Laharn, waking him also.

Much like Arken, he tried to talk through his gag as soon as he settled his eyes on Bleach but much more calmly, as if he was trying to offer her a deal.

"Let me spare you the trouble. I'm rich as fuck and I'm not doing this for money. I'm doing this out of deep disgust and hate. I'm glad I'm about to kill you two." Bleach stated, looking down at them with ice cold fury in her eyes. "There's nothing you could hope to offer me to save your necks. This is personal."

Now the tranquillity started to leave Laharn's voice, allowing despair to take over it completely. Now both he and Arken acted like the miserable and pathetic creatures they were.

Bleach sighed and put her smiling mask back on, successfully driving her soon-to-be victims in a state of absolute panic.

_Can't really blame them._

Heart beating faster in anticipation and dread, the Hunter summoned Foog's chakrams in her hands, but before she could activate them and burn the studio and its dwellers to ashes she felt a spike of Aura coming from the outside and hesitated.

Her hesitation didn't last long because she soon recognized whose Aura it was and, although she should feel something that ranged from surprise to outrage, all she felt was a strange sort of reassurance. It was… _nice_ , knowing he was there with her, even if she didn't fully comprehend the why.

Bleach's lips twitched into a brief smile beneath her mask and she finally allowed her Aura to migrate into the chakrams. Even Laharn and Arken's muffled screams weren't enough to make her hesitate again.

It was a matter of seconds before it was all ablaze.

* * *

Bleach watched the local news coverage of the fire in the art studio alongside the Mitchel family. She was sitting at the edge of Alec's bed with Gabby on her lap while Mrs and Mr Mitchel set the small table in the room for the afternoon tea, not really paying much attention to the TV.

The anchor announced that two carbonized bodies had been found and, although there was no way for them to ID the people yet, they suspected the corpses were of Professors Arken and Laharn.

At that, Bleach and Alec exchanged a meaningful look that went unnoticed by the others occupants in the room.

For the young boy, the bodies had been identified with no room for error.

* * *

Despite Mr Mitchel insisting that Bleach returned home with him and Gabby once again, she opted for spending the night in a hotel this time. Next night, she promised she would make good on their offer but tonight she couldn't. Well-deserved or not, Bleach had murdered two people during the day. She needed space.

Dawn was coming to an end by the time Bleach entered her hotel room, immediately shedding her clothes in a robotic manner and leaving them strewn around the floor as she marched to the bathroom so she could take a quick shower.

Fifteen minutes later, the thief emerged from the bathroom with her hair still wet and only a bathrobe on. She didn't even bother to pick up her clothes from the floor and just let herself fall face-first on the soft mattress of the bed.

She turned her face to the side so she could breathe and stared at the wall on the room in absolute silence, watching the last red of dawn being replaced by the city lights that entered through the window. Bleach didn't know how long she stayed there, completely immobile if not for her breathing, but it couldn't have been more than half an hour before her silence was interrupted by three soft knocks on her door.

The Hunter recognized her visitor's Aura immediately and for a moment debated if she should answer or just play dead. She quickly chose the first seeing as she doubted Illumi would leave her alone anyway, and she really wasn't in the mood to deal with his shenanigans. Better have him say his piece and leave.

"Come in." Bleach called out. "You must've gotten a key card already."

Of course he did, and he quickly used it to open the door and enter the woman's room.

Illumi closed the door softly behind him and his eyes immediately adjusted to the partial darkness in the room, allowing him to start walking towards the woman who was lying on the bed with her face turned away from him.

As soon as he laid his knee at the edge of the bed, Bleach's voice echoed through the room.

"I don't wanna fuck."

"…I didn't expect you to." Illumi spoke as he continued to climb on the bed until he was laying on his back.

"I don't wanna talk or fight either."

"I'm not here for that."

The assassin could feel the confusion in Bleach even if she wasn't looking back at him. Long moments of tense silence passed between them before, finally, Bleach turned around to face the man laying by her side.

"Why did you come?"

"I continued to watch the news after you left your apartment and I knew you'd come here to kill the culprits. I needed to see it." Illumi explained, staring into Bleach's tired eyes with his own wide, eager ones. "It was glorious."

Bleach huffed and shut her eyes, ready to turn her back to the assassin once again, but he grabbed her shoulder softly over the fluffy fabric of her robe, keeping her whole self turned towards him.

"It was. The way you followed them in the shadows, avoiding every pair of eyes and traffic cameras in your way, and how you've kept calm and controlled through the assassination even though I know you were burning with hate and disgust on the inside. You burned the whole place to the ground, leaving no trace of evidence beyond the fact that it was arson, which leads nowhere since it's not going to be repeated by you. It may have been an easy assassination but still was perfect, which is more than most professionals can say for their first job."

"Illumi." Bleach warned, narrowing her eyes. "Not helping."

"I'm just saying the truth. You may despise what you did, but you did it perfectly and that deserves recognition." The assassin's eyes were almost sparkling as he said those words. "And I'm here to give it to you. You did something you absolutely hate with caution, care and commitment and that's something I can openly admit I admire. And watching you kill those men, feeling that sweet bloodlust you were keeping inside but not quite so… It was so, _delicious_."

The woman felt her face heat up and could only feel thankful it was dark in the room so her blush was mostly hidden from Illumi's eager orbs.

"I told you I don't want have sex."

To Bleach's surprise Illumi's lips curled slightly upwards in the softest almost-smile she had ever seen in his face so far.

"There are other ways we can spend the night."

"Like?"

The man reached around the woman and pulled her close to him. "Sleeping."

Bleach's eyes widened and her heart started to beat wildly in her chest. Leave it up to Illumi to make her feel like a virgin schoolgirl with the least arousing word in history and without even touching her skin. When he buried his nose in her neck and breathed in her scent, she thought her heart would burst from her chest and she didn't even understand why exactly.

Both spent some minutes there, holding each other in a silence that was surprisingly comfortable for Bleach, despite her initial discharge of adrenalin. As said hormone left her bloodstream, the day's events returned to their position at the front of her mind, almost completely erasing the surprisingly uplifting comfort Illumi had provided her.

_Almost._

"Illumi…" The woman whispered in his chest ducking her head so he wouldn't see her blush. "It was… nice, to have you there while I killed them. And now too."

The assassin opened his mouth to reply but stopped himself before any words could leave him. Instead, he chose to respond by planting a kiss on the top of Bleach's head.

* * *

"I take it you'll not be returning to Padokea with me today?"

Both had woken up that morning together, tangled with one another in the bed of Bleach's hotel room and hungry. Now, half an hour later, they were having a strangely normal and civilized breakfast together in that hotel's restaurant.

"No. Alec is going to be released from the hospital tonight and I want to stay with him and his family for some days-"

Illumi said nothing as he sipped from his cup of coffee. He had expected that Bleach would get a bit nostalgic so her decision wasn't really surprising.

"-Also, I want to check how Harry is doing."

But that news had him lowering his cup and regarding Bleach with serious eyes as she nonchalantly spread some butter and honey on her toast.

"Harry? You mean-"

"My first boyfriend? Yes." Bleach guessed, taking a bite of her toast and smirking at the assassin as chewed on it. "Jealous?"

The man didn't answer right away, wondering in his mind if he was indeed jealous. Hearing that Bleach would actively search a man from her past – her _first boyfriend_ nonetheless – didn't sit well with him at all but he wasn't sure it was jealousy. The only time he had felt that emotion was in his teenage years, when he found Léonie with another man; and then he responded by murdering both in cold blood.

Now he was feeling a similar tightness in his chest but it wasn't vengeful like before; it was more resigned than anything, as if it was expected and _right_ for him to feel this discomfort and do nothing about it.

Bleach's smirk dropped at the man's silence. Could it be that she was right? Was Illumi actually _jealous_ of her?

_No. That's ridiculous. No way in hell. Not possible._

Still…

"No need to be. Jealous, I mean." The woman spoke hesitantly, successfully removing the assassin from his introspection. "I just want to give him a proper farewell. I left this place without even telling him about it. Now that I'm here anyway I feel it's only right to explain to him why I left like that. Nothing more, really."

Illumi blinked slowly at Bleach from across the table, surprised that she was reassuring him that she'd remain true to their agreement of exclusivity, and even more by the fact that her words actually succeeded in their task, making the tightness in his chest disappear.

" _Just so you know. Whatever it is the relationship you have with that thief… I don't disapprove. Neither does your father."_

"Alright." The assassin responded in a robotic voice and Bleach could almost see him burying his emotions somewhere deep inside him.

She honestly didn't know how she felt about that. "Then-"

"I'll be going now." Illumi announced, standing from the table. "We'll talk when you return to Padokea."

The woman stared into his black eyes for some moments, noticing how dull and unemotional they had become all at once, reminding her of Illumi when she first met him in the Hunter Exam. She couldn't react or respond to his sudden brusqueness and just wondered where the hell the sudden dread she was feeling was coming from.

In return, Illumi stared back into her wide eyes that were so full of confusion and emotions, understanding that she had opened herself to him while he was closing himself to her. He stood still and hesitated, tempted to take back his words and finish their breakfast together.

Instead, he turned his back to her and walked away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this is it! Hope you all enjoyed this leap of character development i'm taking right now with Illumi. XD
> 
> (though it's kind of a backflip to be honest =.=)
> 
> Kisses,  
> RedVoid
> 
> PS: I've created a personal Isntagram account some weeks ago. If anyone is interested in seeing a bit of my everyday life (not that's all that exciting) just tell me in the reviews or send me a PM :)


	64. Absence Makes The Heart Grow Fonder

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys! User eimyahj16 (from fanfiction.net) was once again super sweet and amazing, and made some awesome fanart for this fic and allowed me to post it on tumblr and deviantart for you all to see as well! :D
> 
> My deviantart: cy5000.deviantar.com
> 
> My tumblr: redvoid-40.tumblr.com

_"No need to be. Jealous, I mean." The woman spoke hesitantly, successfully removing the assassin from his introspection. "I just want to give him a proper farewell. I left this place without even telling him about it. Now that I'm here anyway I feel it's only right to explain to him why I left like that. Nothing more, really."_

_Illumi blinked slowly at Bleach from across the table, surprised that she was reassuring him that she'd remain true to their agreement of exclusivity, and even more by the fact that her words actually succeeded in their task, making the tightness in his chest disappear._

_"I'll be going now." Illumi announced, standing from the table. "We'll talk when you return to Padokea."_

_The woman stared into his black eyes for some moments, noticing how dull and unemotional they had become all at once, reminding her of Illumi when she first met him in the Hunter Exam. She couldn't react or respond to his sudden brusqueness and just wondered where the hell the sudden dread she was feeling was coming from._

_In return, Illumi stared back into her wide eyes that were so full of confusion and emotions, understanding that she had opened herself to him while he was closing himself to her. He stood still and hesitated, tempted to take back his words and finish their breakfast together._

_Instead, he turned his back to her and walked away._

* * *

Bleach returned to her hotel room almost in a state of stupor, trying her best to wrap her mind around what in the hell had happened between her and Illumi at the breakfast table. He had been so insistent that they established an exclusive sexual/borderline romantic relationship and now he was freaking out that she had reassured him she'd keep her end of the agreement? It didn't make sense.

And, for some reason, she was feeling horrible about it.

_It's not my fault. I didn't say anything wrong... Did I?_

She took a shower and checked her phone, but saw no messages. Then she put on some clothes and checked her phone again; still no messages. Then she checked out of the hotel and made her way to Saint Luke Hospital, checking her phone uncountable times.

No messages.

* * *

"It's everything alright, Bleach? You seem a bit down."

The woman startled and turned her eyes to Mrs Mitchel, who was staring back at her with that understanding, motherly look that made the thief want to lay her head on her lap and be lulled to sleep by a sweet lullaby. They both were in Alec's room inside the hospital, playing a game of cards with the boy and his little sister.

"I had a fight with a… acquaintance of mine." Bleach explained, putting a smile on her face. "But I don't understand why exactly. Well, no matter. I'll deal with it when I have to."

Mrs Mitchel noticed right away that it _did_ matter but also that it was a delicate subject – a _man_ subject – so she let the talk end at that. Bleach wasn't her actual daughter but she spent two years living as such and as a well-lived mother, Mrs Mitchel knew when to insist on a subject and when to drop it with her kids, and this was definitely the latter.

"And how long will you be staying with us?"

Bleach shrugged. "I don't know… I was thinking about a week? If that's alright with you of course."

Mrs Mitchel smiled and was about to answer when Gabby jumped at the opportunity. "It's great! You can stay more! We'd love it so much, right Alec!"

The boy smiled at his little sister and both his mother and Bleach felt an absurd amount of relief and happiness at that gesture. It was a true, easy-going smile, the first they had seen in his face ever since he was attacked. Not only was it reassuring but it took a great weight from the Hunter's shoulders.

_It was all worth it._

At that mment, the door was opened to reveal a smiling, if slightly tired-looking, Mr Mitchel to the room's occupants.

"Hello everyone!"

"Daddy!"

Alec's smile widened slightly at seeing his baby sister stumble out of her chair and run towards their father as he entered the room, making Bleach's smile also widen even more.

Mrs Mitchel smiled and left the table to greet her husband with a peck on the lips. "Hello, darling. How was work?"

"Normal, nothing to say." Mrs Mitchel sighed. "I shouldn't have returned yet. I should've stayed here with Alec."

"No, darling. It's good that you save some of your vacations days for when I have to return to work. I don't want to leave the kids without one of us with them."

"It's alright, mom." Alec protested from across the room. "I told you I'm fine. You and dad can return to work whenever."

Mrs Mitchel just smiled and went to her son's side so she could kiss his cheek and hug him. "And _I_ told you it's not happening."

"You're such a mother hen."

"And I'm a father hen!" Mrs Mitchel stated, also coming to kiss and hug his son. "You and Gabby just can't escape us."

Alec pouted as if angry but Bleach could see how reassured he was by those words.

"Now, my handsome father hen, you'll take care of our children while Bleach and I go grab ourselves a cup of coffee." Mrs Mitchel announced making the thief furrow her eyebrows in surprise.

"Mom, can you bring me a Frappuccino please?" Alec asked.

"And I want a cookie!" Gabby exclaimed delighted.

"Of course." Mrs Mitchel agreed before turning to Bleach. "Let's go?"

"Okay." She agreed. Truth be told, she could use an excuse to stretch her legs a little. And she was curious about what made Mrs Mitchel suddenly crave coffee; she wasn't much of a fan as far as Bleach remembered. "I guess I'll have a Frappuccino too."

* * *

"So… want to tell me about the man in your life?"

Bleach chocked with her Frappuccino and almost spilt the practically filled cup in her shirt.

"What."

"Bleach, darling-" Mrs Mitchel began with a smile of complicity. "-I'm an experienced woman. I know when a woman's thoughts are occupied by a man."

Bleach felt her face grow absurdly hot and she just knew her she was ten different shades of red. She felt embarrassed and partially humiliated but saw no way to deny it.

"I… It's complicated."

"It always is."

"We have a strange relationship. It's more… physical than anything but it's exclusive." The thief tried to explain, feeling her face grow hotter by the second. "He insisted we became exclusive. He is a bit obsessive-compulsive, in a strangely calm and controlled manner. So, due to _his_ insistence, we did. Become exclusive, you know."

"What's the problem then? He cheated?"

"No – at least not that I know of – and neither did I. Actually, the problem came when I reassured then that I was going to keep my end of the agreement. We were having breakfast and he just up and left. All cold and strange. I don't know what in the world I could've said that was so wrong."

"Oh, love." Mrs Mitchel sighed, giving her a motherly smile. "He may have been scared at how fast things were progressing, how serious it was becoming."

"But he was the one that wanted it to happen!"

"I know, and I'm sorry. But men are complicated. They seem like they want something – and sometimes they do want it – and then they get scared and give up. Then they regret it and want to get back together… It's very confusing, and frustrating."

Bleach pouted. "Was it like this with Mr Mitchel?"

"Oh, no. That's why we're together to this day. Robert always made sure I knew he was with me, even when we were mad at each other." Mrs Mitchel answered with a love-struck smile that soon became a scowl. "But it was like that with my first boyfriend. And my second, and my third… You get the point. Men can be rather fickle and hard to deal with. So, when you find someone dependable that makes you feel safe and loved even when both of you are going through rough times, you hold on to them with all you have."

"And… what if he's not dependable?"

"Then you see what happens. He might surprise you."

Bleach furrowed her eyebrows. "I don't think so."

"Maybe not; then you'll just have to try again with the next one. No harm done. But still you must give him some time, love. It's good to be certain when it comes to this matter." Mrs Mitchel said, giving her a peck on the cheek. "Trust me."

"I do."

"Good. Now, put all of that away from your mind and let's get back to Alec."

* * *

A week later, Bleach was in the local markket with Mrs Mitchel, shopping for groceries for dinner.

It was funny how easily the thief readjusted to living with the Mitchels; she felt calm and safe and cherished in that house with that family. She couldn't help but wonder how in the hell she left them so easily to take the Hunter Exam. It wasn't that she regretted her decisions, but… she left a home and family without a moment's hesitation and it wasn't because she didn't care about them; she did care. A lot.

_Was I so obsessed with Ging that I couldn't see anything else?_

As she helped Mrs Mitchel pick the vegetables for their dinner, Bleach silently vowed to herself that she'd keep contact with the Mitchels as she was doing with Gon and Killua. She wouldn't depend on a news channel to know what was going on with their lives anymore.

_Thinking about people I left without a second thought… I think it's time I paid Harry a visit._

"Mrs Mitchel." Bleach began as the older woman went through a stack of potatoes to choose some to take home. "Do you remember Harry?"

"Your ex? Of course. He was a sweet boy."

"Do you know if he is still living with his parents?"

Mrs Mitchel paused what she was doing and turned to face Bleach with a serious face. "Why do you ask?"

Bleach was surprised at the seriousness in Mrs Mitchel's face and voice, feeling as if she was being interrogated. "I… I just thought it would be polite if I paid him a visit. When I left I didn't even say goodbye to him and I wanted to apologize."

"That's it?"

"Yes. Why?"

Some of the seriousness left the woman's face and she resumed to pick her potatoes. "Harry… he was in pretty bad shape after you left; it took months for him to be himself again. The boy was really in love with you, Bleach."

The thief felt as if she had been punched in the stomach by those words. Hurting Harry was the last thing she had wanted to do when she left for the Hunter Exam. She had warned the boy she'd leave eventually, told him many times that what they had was temporary. It had never been her intention to have Harry falling in love with her and she honestly regretted making him feel that way.

"But, he's okay now. Right?"

"Oh! Of course, love!" Mrs Mitchel reassured with a smile on her face. "He's doing great in college, has a nice internship in a good firm and is engaged to a very lovely young woman. The two of them are very much in love with each other; it's the cutest thing to watch!"

Bleach felt as if she would fall face-first at the news.

"Why didn't you tell me this before? I was already feeling so guilty!"

"Many couples get back together after some time apart." Mrs Mitchel explained with a shrug. "I wanted to make sure you weren't going after him just for that. The boy suffered a lot when he let you go and it wouldn't be right for you to put yourself between him and his fiancée."

"I'd never do that." The thief protested, feeling a bit offended that Mrs Mitchel would actually think that of her. "I never meant for Harry to get hurt. And he _is_ a great guy. He deserves to be happy and I'd never dare to stay in his way."

"Of course not. But you didn't know he was with another woman and, sometimes, you can be a bit… reckless with other people. I'm not saying you do this on purpose or anything. You're a very independent woman and this is wonderful Bleach, but some people are not and get attached easily, even when we tell them not to. And, while I think you're very caring and dependable, you can be a bit oblivious to people's emotions. Or at least you were a couple of years ago. It seems you have matured a lot since then though and that's why I'll tell you where to find him right now."

"What? Right now?"

"Sure. I can finish the groceries on my own and I'd like for you to deal with your matters and be home in time for dinner."

* * *

It amazed Bleach how Mrs Mitchel knew exactly where to find Harry. In the note she had given her, it was written that she should wait sitting at the bench close to the coffee cart in front of the Department of Economics of his university from 16:30 and 16:45 that Harry would pass by.

Said and done.

_Scary how mothers just know everything about everyone._

Bleach watched as a group of students left the building and immediately spotted Harry among his peers. The teenager she had dated when she was younger had grown a lot in the couple of years they had been apart; not physically mind you – he was still that cute and tall scrawny blonde with big blue eyes – but the look in his eyes and the way he walked showed some sort of inner change in him. He seemed to be more confident and intelligent than when Bleach first met him.

_He's a man now._

Bleach stood up from the bench and stared at Harry as he passed her by without giving her a second look. The man took some five steps away from her before stooping in alert, as if he was a suricate.

With a smile tugging at the corner of her lips, the thief watched Harry turn around to look over his shoulder. He spotted her and his eyes widened as if he had seem a ghost.

"Hello, Harry." The woman greeted. "You seem well."

"…Bleach?" The man asked, finally turning so he could face her fully. "What- When-Why?"

"I came here as soon as I heard about what happened to Alec." Bleach explained, walking towards Harry. "I'm staying with the Mitchels for a while. I couldn't not come for him. I just… I had to be here."

Harry seemed stunned for a moment, before a warm smile broke on his face. "Of course. I should have imagined you'd come."

"Yeah. And since I was here already I figured it would only be right for me to pay you a visit." Bleach admitted, averting her eyes in embarrassment. "The way I left last time, without saying anything… It wasn't fair to you."

Harry furrowed his eyebrows. "Did you come here to apologize?"

"Yes."

"That's… not like you."

If anything, Bleach became even more embarrassed. "Yeah, thanks for that."

"No! That's not how I meant it. I'm sorry. It's just… you were quite "what's done is done", "no use crying over spilled milk", you know?" Harry tried to fix it, adorably desperate. "Not that it's a bad thing. You live in the present and I… well I dream about the future. I knew you were leaving one day – god knows you warned me many times – but couldn't help myself. What I'm trying to say is: you didn't wrong me if that's what you want to apologize for."

"I…What?"

"I don't resent you, Bleach." Harry explained with a warm smile. "I'm engaged and ready to get married and start a family when I graduate from college and, let's face it, that's not something you wanted back then."

"Honestly, I don't want it to this day. And I'm not sure if I'll ever want it." Bleach admitted. "But still, I'm sorry for leaving like I did. I should've talked to you at least. You're an amazing guy and you deserve only the best. And I'm really happy you got it."

"Thank you, Bleach. You seem to be well too."

"I'm okay. You know me… Getting by, not really thinking about what comes next. But, I'm doing something I like, you know? Job-wise."

"That's great! Hunter work?"

Bleach smirked. "Something like that."

Harry seemed ready to say something else when his phone started ringing. He excused himself to answer the call and, while he did, Bleach took her phone from her pocket and went to her list of contacts, scrolling down immediately to the name _Illumi_.

She stared at the screen for some time, feeling a very unpleasant feeling start in her stomach and crawl up her chest and neck, all the way up to the base of her skull, as if a clawed hand was tightening around it.

_He hasn't tried to contact me at all in the last week. Should I-_

"Bleach!"

The Hunter quickly put her phone away and turned to Harry with a slightly strained smile.

"I'm sorry but I need to go. My fianc- Are you alright?"

Bleach furrowed her eyebrows at the question. "Sure, why do you ask?"

"Just now, you seemed a bit-"

"Ah, that? It's nothing. My boss just asked me how work is going and I'm a bit behind that's all." The thief lied easily. "Nothing a couple of hours of work won't fix. You going back to your fiancée?"

"Yes. She just finished her classes and we were going for a jog around the campus."

"Well, I should leave you to it then. Thanks for sparing some minutes, Harry."

"No worries." The man reassured with a smile and gave Bleach a hug. "I'm glad to see you're doing well too. Good luck with your work!"

"Thanks." She said as they broke apart. "Good luck for you too. In everything."

As soon as Harry turned his back to her, Bleach felt her phone vibrate and quick-as-lightening grabbed it to check if it was a message from Illumi. At seeing Mrs Mitchel name on the screen, she felt that awful sensation in her body intensify to a point of almost physical pain.

It was all Illumi's fault, she knew it. But…

_Somehow, I don't think this feeling comes from his needles._

* * *

Bleach spent another couple of weeks with the Mitchel family, but her job as the Zoldyck thief demanded that she returned to Padokea – more specifically, a coldly fuming Tsubone called her with a calm voice that threatened pain and death if she wasn't there _yesterday_.

It really didn't give her much of a choice.

Proper farewells and contact information were exchanged and arrangements for Bleach visiting sometime in a not-so-distant future were made and the thief finally returned to Padokea.

* * *

Inside the airship, Bleach took her phone to message Kalluto that she was returning Sunday, so their Monday training sessions would resume on the following day, if he was present. The boy answered that he'd wait for her at the usual spot and time.

Throughout the flight she also checked her phone multiple times for any message from Illumi, but nothing.

Again with that horrible feeling creeping up her body, Bleach took a deep breath, swallowed her pride and sent him a message:

_I'm in the airship going to Padokea. I should be there in about three hours. Want to meet?_

After hitting the SEND button, the thief sunk in her seat and closed her eyes.

_I hope he answers me._

* * *

Arriving there, the thief went directly to the Zoldyck mansion to check with Tsubone what was so important that she had to come right away. She had completed many more jobs than stipulated by her contract so it certainly wasn't because she was owing them any jobs.

"Bleach. Thank you for returning." Tsubone greeted the thief as she entered her office and sat down on the armchair in front of her desk. She was much calmer now that Bleach was at reaching distance. "There's something I must discuss with you."

"No kidding." Bleach responded with a smirk. "I have no idea what it is though. I've done more than enough jobs to earn myself some time off."

"This isn't about the work – although giving me some sort of warning before you disappeared would've been nice. There's an event coming up next week and your presence is mandatory."

"I tol- wait. What?"

"Every year a formal dinner takes place involving the five most important assassin families and this year my masters will be hosting it." Tsubone explained. "I've mentioned it a couple of times to you but never really explained because I didn't think you'd ever be allowed to attend. However, Kikyo-sama has decided that you must be present at dinner."

"WHAT?!"

Bleach didn't think her eyes had ever been so wide or that her jaw had ever dropped so low before in her life. She could understand if Zeno had invited her or something like that, but Kikyo? The matriarch who, according to Kalluto, had been the origin of the whole "assassins don't need friends" motto actually _wanted_ her near her sons? Her, who fully supported Killua's escape from his family and to this day refused to give them any information about his whereabouts?

_This can't be real._

"Tsubone, you're joking. Right?"

The senior butler sighed and shook her head. "I don't understand her reasons either, but Kikyo-sama made it very clear that your presence in the dinner is not negotiable."

Bleach was completely flabbergasted, unable to as much as say a coherent word in response. Seeing this, Tsubone resumed talking.

"The dinner will happen in 5 days, on Saturday. It's a black-tie event, very formal so please dress accordingly. Actually, I think I'll have Amane take you out shopping tomorrow so she can make sure you'll choose something appropriate to wear. I'll send a car to pick you up at your home as well. The dinner begins at 20:00 so the car will be at your door 19:00 sharp; don't be late."

At that, Tsubone opened the top drawer of her desk and retrieved an envelope. She stood up from her chair and walked to a still mute Bleach, peeling the semi-catatonic woman off her armchair and led her to the office's door.

"Here's your invitation." The butler explained, handing Bleach the envelope. "Do not lose it."

Tsubone was about to open the door and push the thief out when the latter finally recovered her voice.

"Wait!" Bleach pleaded, not at all trying to hide how desperate she was to keep talking. "Please. You've got to give me something, _anything_ , of an explanation as to why in the fucking hell _Kikyo Zoldyck_ would want me anywhere near her and her sons."

Tsubone sighed and stared at the young woman and couldn't help but be surprised at the vulnerability she found in her eyes. Something was bothering her immensely and it went deeper than her presence being demanded in a ball.

"Is something wrong, Bleach?" The senior butler asked. "Is there a reason you shouldn't be present at the ball?"

"Nothing's wrong but yeah… there's a reason I shouldn't go. I'm a thief; people shouldn't know my appearance. And talking about that, people shouldn't know how assassins look either. Aren't the Zoldycks famous because no one knows how they look like?"

"We're talking about the other four best families of assassins after my masters. Albeit they are not even close to the Zoldycks in terms of fame and skill, they aren't unimportant civilians. It's good for business to keep some sort of contact with them – keep your friends close, and your enemies closer."

"I still don't understand why I'm being invited. What if I ever have to steal from one of those families one day?"

"You won't. There is an agreement among the families that no one takes contracts to assassinate each other so I imagine this will extend to your function as well."

"And they follow this agreement? Just like that?"

The senior butler fought back a smirk at the thief's distrust; she had learned well. "They make exchanges. And by that I mean my masters refuse the jobs against them in return of favours from the other families, and they simply don't dare to challenge the Zoldycks."

"Well, I'm not a Zoldyck. If someone hires another family to kill me, then what? They'll know who I am and how I look."

"Remember that you're under Zeno's protection. They wouldn't dare."

"You don't know that. What if the second best family decide they have something to prove? Who do you think they'll start with? The all-powerful Zoldycks, or the outsourced workforce that isn't even family?"

Tsubone sighed in exasperation. The thief made very valid points but she wasn't used to someone demanding explanations and guaranties. As butlers, they followed orders and nothing more; she had forgotten how bothersome it was explaining decisions.

"A couple of decades ago, the spot of second best was occupied by the Linsar family and one day, much like you proposed, they decided they had something to prove and that second best wasn't good enough anymore." The senior butler began. "Like you theorized, they began by the non-family members – butlers like me. They killed two of ours as warning."

"And?"

"And now the Linsar family no longer exists. My masters killed every single one of them as response." Tsubone told with a smile on her lips. "So I'm certain no one will dare to lay a finger on you Bleach. Not while you have the Zoldyck name backing you up."

It was then that the thief found a reason for her presence at dinner being obligatory: they could be trying to tie her hands and feet to their name, making sure that she _needed_ them for protection and, as such, wouldn't end their prolific partnership any time in the foreseeable future.

_But that doesn't explain why Kikyo from all people is demanding my presence._

The thief didn't know the matriarch of the Zoldycks personally, but she heard enough about her from Killua, Kalluto and Zeno to know the woman wasn't a fan of hers. And Bleach doubted money would be a good enough reason for her to keep someone she disapproved of close to her family.

_There must be something else. But what?_

"Tsubone-" Bleach tried again, eyebrows furrowed. "-nothing out of ordinary happened for me to be invited?"

The senior butler actually took time to think before answering the question because something did come to mind.

* * *

_She remembered clearly the day Kikyo-sama had communicated to her that Bleach's presence at dinner was mandatory; it was sunny and both were in the garden, Kikyo sitting at a table in her beautiful gazebo and Tsubone serving her a cup of tea._

_And there was also Illumi-sama, standing across his mother with what Tsubone deduced was disapproval in his emotionless eyes. The senior butler could never know – never really_ _**cared** _ _to know – what was truly going on with the eldest of the Zoldyck children. All she knew was that, for the last hour or so, he and his mother had been in deep conversation in the gazebo and that their voices died when she appeared to serve the tea._

" _Ah, Tsubone-" Kikyo-sama began, her visor blinking lazily at her butler. "-I trust all the arrangements for our dinner are being made accordingly."_

" _Everything is on schedule, Kikyo-sama." The butler reassured without hesitation. "All four families confirmed their presence in full. Five different menus have already been determined and samples will be ready for you and Silva-sama to taste and decide by tomorrow. And we have world-renowned classic musicians to play throughout the evening."_

" _Good." The matriarch responded, taking a sip from her cup before elegantly setting it down and then retrieving an envelope from inside her sleeve. "But there is one more invitation that must be delivered."_

" _Mother, are you certain about that?" Illumi asked._

" _Yes." Kikyo-sama answered simply, handing the envelope to Tsubone. "I want the thief to be invited as well. Well, not invited per say, since the term implies she has a choice in the matter. She will be there. Understood?"_

_Illumi-sama's expression didn't as much as twitch, but Tsubone felt the distinct sensation of being glared at as she took the envelope from Kikyo-sama's hand._

" _I'll make sure of it, Kikyo-sama."_

* * *

Tsubone knew how much information it was appropriate to share with the thief and that exchange most definitely didn't classify as such. She liked the thief well enough, but she was a Zoldyck butler first and foremost.

"I'm sorry, Bleach." The butler lied. "Nothing comes to mind."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... I know the lack of BleachxIllumi moments here may be a tad disapointing (especially after last chapter) but bear with me here. I promise I'm going somewhere with all of this. I have something quite big planned for you all so be patient. ;)
> 
> Hope you all enjoyed the chapter nonetheless :)
> 
> Kisses,  
> RedVoid


	65. A Little Shopping Never Hurt Nobody

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys!!!!! I'm going to Paris with my family in September! Tomorrow we're going to figure out the sites and activities were going to do and I'm super excited!!! *.*   
> My french readers, do you have suggestions (restaurants, museusm, bars, theatre... anything really :D) for me?
> 
> And how would you feel about meeting irl while I'm there? I never actually met any of my readers but I know some authors that like to meet with a couple of readers when traveling so I wanted to know your opinion on this? A good idea? Or not really?
> 
> Anyway... Fic time!   
> Fair warning: OOC-ness might ensue. I don't have much to go from when it comes to Kikyo and her opinions on love and relationships but the manga shows she and Silva love each other and she was the one who gave the order to Tsubone to let Killua and Alluka go so... a bit PDA is in order. Just read this with an open mind. =.=

Kikyo knew what was going on between her eldest son and the thief, maybe even before Zeno suspected anything, but she pretended to be completely oblivious to the matter. Illu never showed interest in a woman before and, as much as Kikyo was inclined to loath the snake who supported Killu in running away from her, she - as well as her husband - hoped their children would find someone they loved to continue their family. Whoever that someone might be.

Friendships were ephemeral and bound to be betrayed because they were superficial, however a marriage based on love like hers and Silva's was forever, it was the expansion of family. Aand nothing was more important than family.

And if that thief was her only hope for Illu, then she'd accept her. For now at least.

_He might still find someone more… adequate._

And it seemed things were going well for her eldest son in that department. However, after spending a couple of days god knows where with the thief, Illu approached her, asking about her traditional dinners and the prospect women he knew his parents had selected as potentially adequate for a future marriage. Kikyo found the questions rather out of character; not only hadn't Illu ever cared about having a relationship, but also the only interest he ever showed nowadays was in finding Killu.

So, what could've made her Illu suddenly think about those women?

The answer was obvious.

* * *

 

" _You never showed interest in my dinners before, Illu. Why now?"_

" _I'm almost 26. I think it's time for me to start thinking about my future, don't you? You were only 21 when you married father."_

" _That's because we loved each other."_

" _I'll love my children. Family is all that matters."_

" _Your future wife will be your family. You should love her as well, if possible."_

" _I don't think it is possible."_

" _You're still young. It may happen yet."_

" _Mother-"_

" _But very well. If you want to use the dinner to analyse your options, I'll give you the list of available daughters from the other families."_

" _Thank you."_

" _And I'll invite the thief as well."_

" _And why would you invite her to a business event like this?"_

" _She's good for business. And she's part of the list of potential candidates."_

" _...What?"_

" _You heard me, Illu. She will attend dinner and that's final."_

" _Mother-"_

" _Illu, that's enough… Ah, Tsubone. I trust all the arrangements for the dinner are being made accordingly."_

* * *

 

"Kikyo."

The matriarch of the Zoldyck calmly turned her visor to her husband and smiled; she had felt his familiar Aura approaching her gazebo from dozens of metres away and she knew what was coming.

Silva had never enjoyed PR but that didn't mean he didn't keep himself up-to-speed about what was happening and by now he had certainly heard about her inviting the thief for the dinner.

"What are you plotting this time?"

And there it was.

"My darling husband!" The matriarch gasped over-dramatically, raising her hands to her chest in fake outrage. She loved playing games with Silva from time to time. "What in the world would make you think that I'm _plotting_ anything?"

Silva's lips twitched in amusement as he crossed his bulging arms over his chest. "The question is: what in the world would make me think that you're _not_ plotting anything?"

"Don't you trust your loving wife?"

"Just about as far as I can throw you."

"Well, you can throw me quite far, darling."

"There's your answer then." Silva responded, uncrossing his arms and moving closer to his wife. "But I'm serious Kikyo. What are your intentions, inviting the thief to our dinner?"

"Would you believe if I said I have no intentions whatsoever? That I'm only inviting her due to motherly instincts?"

"So it wasn't Illumi who asked you to invite her?"

"Oh, no. Illu says he's only interested in the daughters of the other families and that it's past time he started looking for an eligible wife." Kikyo explained, moving in so her head was laid against Silva's shoulder. "I don't like how he's making such a decision just like that. He's talking about his - _our -_ future family as if they were just a matter of business and the only business we deal with is assassinations. My grandchildren shall not be made in a contract!"

"You want the thief there to unsettle him, don't you?" Silva asked, encircling his wife's shoulders with his arm. "You think he's starting to feel something for her."

"Illu wouldn't be swayed so easily but you know me-"

"I do know you. Sending Illumi to watch Killua when he ran away, having Tsubone watch Killua when he took Alluka from home and having her follow Kalluto to watch him train with the thief every now and then… You like to be able to interfere with anything and everything regarding our children."

"Better safe than sorry." Kikyo said while her visor blinked lazily at the scenery. "I need to take care of my children. Even if I don't get it right every time, I do it the best way I know how."

Silva felt Kikyo tense by his side - understood that to this day she still blamed herself for Killua running away - and tightened his hold around her reassuringly.

"You're a wonderful mother, Kikyo. Don't doubt that."

* * *

 

Bleach returned home still stunned by the news Tsubone had just given her, not understanding what was Kikyo's reasoning to invite her to an assassins-only formal dinner and trying to figure out how in the hell she'd manage to escape it.

As if that wasn't enough excitement for one day, there was another surprise waiting for Bleach at home.

And it was in the form of a green-eyed man sitting at her couch with the most loving smile Bleach had ever seen on his lips.

* * *

 

"No way." The thief breathed out as soon as she stepped in her apartment, feeling the keys slip from her hand. "Elmsy?"

The man stood up and walked to her with arms wide open.

"You told me to visit whenever, didn't you? I just hope it's not a bad time."

For reasons she didn't understand herself, Bleach's eyes filled with tears and she launched herself into Elmsy's arms.

She felt all of her frustration with Illumi and his family slam into her chest and having Elmsy's arms around her and his support was just everything for her at the moment.

"Bleach?" Elmsy's voice had an edge of despair in it. "What's wrong? Oh gods, what happened? Talk to me!"

A couple of tears streaked down the woman's face and stained Elmsy's shirt, but she couldn't help but smile. "Nothing happened. I'm just… stressed out. And happy to see you. I'm so glad you're here right now."

Elmsy didn't know how to respond to that, so all he did was return Bleach's hug and comb his fingers through her hair in what he hoped was a calming and reassuring gesture.

"I'll always be here, Arysa. All you need to do is call my name and I'll be here."

Bleach's arms tightened around Elmsy and she didn't dare let go for a long time. And her mind imagined it was Illumi returning her embrace.

He still hadn't replied to her text.

* * *

 

Since Bleach wasn't able to make a proper cup of tea, let alone a full meal, she didn't really have any actual ingredients in her kitchen. So, not even Elmsy - who could actually cook - would be able to wipe something for them to eat that evening. Bleach thought about ordering take-out but quickly shot down the idea. She hadn't seen Elmsy in months, the least she could do was take him someplace fancy to eat.

Thankfully, winter was drawing to an end and the snow had greatly lessened in the last few weeks, so getting out of the house wasn't much of a bother to them. Both even dared to walk to the restaurant instead of getting a cab; it gave them a more pleasant scenario to catch up and allowed Bleach to show Elmsy around town.

The dinner maintained the light atmosphere of their walk, with both talking about their lives and current projects. Elmsy noticed something was bothering Bleach and that she didn't want to talk about it at the moment so, when she steered the conversation towards his current affairs he rolled with it and started talking about his new endeavours.

Elmsy, it seemed, was no longer a Floor Master in Heaven's Arena and was now a member of a NGO that focused on helping war refugees and citizens of broken countries. He had many wonderful stories to tell Bleach and for blissful hours she listed and focused completely on them, managing not to think about Illumi at all.

But all good things must come to an end and when she and Elmsy sat down on her couch to continue talking close to midnight and he gave that serious "I-let-you-relax-and-take-your-mind-of-things-for-a-while-but-now-we're-dealing-with-your-issues" stare, Bleach could only sigh and tell the complex and crazy tale that was her and Illumi's relationship.

Of course, she made it into a PG-rated version. Just because Elmsy knew she was a thief didn't mean he had to know _all_ the dirty details of her life.

Elmsy listened to everything with patience, but when it was time for him to give advice his words of wisdom were:

"You should do what you think it's best for you, Butterfly. Just relax and know that everything will be fine in the end."

_Great. Fucking. Help._

Satisfied that what was making Bleach so stressed and anxious wasn't actually serious, Elmsy decided it was time they went to bed. His Butterfly had to go out shopping for dresses with Amane in the morning and train with Kalluto in the afternoon so she had to be well-rested for her day.

Unfortunately, despite Elmsy's oh-so insightful words of knowledge, Bleach still couldn't stop thinking about Illumi and suffering because of it.

There was little to no sleep for her that night.

* * *

 

The butler didn't  sleep much that night either, dreading what would undoubtedly be the most creative torture session Tsubone had thrown her way. Amane had no dubt Bleach wouldn't know the first thing about dressing to the Zoldyck's standards.

To her surprise, her concerns were unfounded.

Picking a dress for Bleach wasn't nearly as tiresome as she had thought it would be. As it happened, not only did the thief know of a high-class store that offered exclusive and expensive dresses that were simply perfect to make an impression and show the other families that she was at their level - if not above -, regardless of her not being an assassin, but she also was very quick and efficient in going through her options. She selected the most adequate dresses to try out and didn't hesitate in making the best choice for the dinner.

_It seems the thief plays the game better than anyone could have expected._

Amane was surprised at how professional Bleach acted during their shopping expedition, and also relieved knowing she and her grandmother wouldn't have to worry about Bleach losing her cool or embarrassing their masters during dinner. 

* * *

 

"It seems like you didn't need my help after all." Amane commented as Bleach paid for her dress. "Despite my grandmother's reservations, you seem to know exactly what you're doing. I think I'll-"

"Calm down." The thief interrupted with a smirk. "We still have to buy shoes and jewellery. You're not off the hook just yet."

"Of course." The butler agreed, feeling slightly embarrassed at forgetting that a dress didn't make an outfit. "I apologize. I'm not…"

"Used to going out?" Bleach guessed.

"Yes. My duties as a butler don't usually involve actual shopping. Usually I just drive the couturiers, jewellers and shoe sellers to and from the Zoldyck mansion so they can best offer their services to my masters." Amane explained. "I know what is appropriate and what's not for events, but I'm not usually part of decision-making. I apologize if it seemed I was anxious to get rid of you."

Bleach chuckled as she and Amane marched to the store's exit. "No sweat. I'd be anxious to get rid of me if I was you. I'm used to picking dresses and shoes, but jewellery? We're going to waste a couple of hours on that. Hopefully not that many, since I have a guest in my apartment and I have training with Kalluto at 16:00."

For some reason, Amane felt inclined to ask Bleach about her "guest" – maybe because she, as well as every other butler, was conscious of the strange relationship between Illumi and the thief, or maybe because a part of her enjoy frivolous "girl talk' – but, since it was none of her business and she had no orders to get any sort of information from her, she just said:

"My schedule is clear. We can take as long as you wish."

"Good! We'll pick up some stuff for you too." The thief settled with a smile. "I'm guessing you don't really have the chance to go out much, so we should make the most of it."

The butler blushed and tried to protest, but the chuckle that left the thief's lips made it clear she was having none of it.

* * *

 

Bleach could very well carry her shopping bags herself and allow the butler to return home, but Amane insisted she help her with it and so, a couple of hours later, both women found themselves at the door of the thief's apartment.

The thief was fishing the key from her pocket when the door was opened by none other than Elmsy. Dressed in a simple pair of jeans and a green T-shirt and with a smile on his face, the man had been waiting to receive Bleach for the lunch he had prepared while she was out; he was certain she'd enjoy a nice home-cooked meal and he was anxious to see the smile on her face when she tasted what he had made her.

 

Not expecting his Butterfly to bring anyone home, he hesitated a moment at seeing the butler carrying the bags behind the thief, but only for a moment.

"Hey, Butterfly! I didn't know you were bringing a friend. Pleasure to meet you, my name is Elmsy." The man greeted, taking the bags from Amane's hands and taking them into the living room. "That's not a problemthough. I made borsch for lunch and since it's the same thing cooking a little and a lot, I went all out on it so you could freeze some portions and enjoy a couple of homemade meals once I'm gone. There's plenty for everyone."

Bleach started drooling as the smell of the food reached her nose and she marched into the kitchen as if in a trance, leaving Amane to fend off the friendly man by herself.

"Thank you for your offer sir, but I must refuse. My work here is done so I should return to the mansion."

"Are you certain?" Elmsy asked, ever so motherly. "Surely you can spare some minutes to lunch."

"Not really." The butler settled, moving around the man to settle her gaze on Bleach again, who was now sitting at the island in her kitchen, pouring some borsch in both her and Elmsy's plates. "Bleach-sa-"

"What did I tell you, Amane?" The thief interrupted, not looking up from the pot of borsch that currently had her hypnotized.

" _Bleach_." The butler corrected, fighting the urge to smile at the thief's insistent informality. It was very different from her masters, but not unwelcomed. "I'll be returning to the Zoldyck manor now."

"Sure you don't want to stay around for lunch?" Bleach asked. "Elmsy is an amazing cook."

"Yes. I really should return."

"Ok then." Bleach sighed before finally raising her gaze to Amane and throwing a smile her way. "Thanks for your help, Amane. It was a lot more fun than I expected. Oh! Take the large Swarovski bag with you, alright? There was a matching necklace-earring set that was the same colour of your eyes so I bought them for you. I know you whined about not wanting anything but those will look really good on you. Just humour me and consider it as a thank you gift, alright?"

For the tenth time that day, Amane felt her face heat up at Bleach's nonchalant niceness. The thief had a weird way of showing it, but she was actually a very good person with a strange sort of charm to her that was quick to attract other people.

_It's easy to see she is a Specialist._

The butler knew it would be useless to try and refuse the gift so she just nodded her thanks and turned back to Elmsy, taking the bag from his hands.

"Thank you, Bleach. I'll see you at the dinner."

The sigh that left the thief's lips was nothing short of desolated. "I _guess._ "

* * *

 

"How was your shopping trip, Amane?"

The woman in question tensed at the threshold of her quarters in the butlers' mansion as Illumi's monotonous voice invaded her ears. Never had the assassin approached her to talk before – let alone wait for her sitting on a chair inside her own bedroom – but even if he had Amane didn't think she'd ever get used to his fake tones and the unnerving Aura he projected. The butler wondered how Bleach managed to deal with the assassin in stride and even envied her resilience to her master's cold and calculating eyes.

"It was productive, Illumi-sama." The butler answered respectfully, bowing low to the assassin. "We purchased a most adequate outfit for Bleach-sama to wear during dinner. I think you'll be pleased."

Illumi tilted his head to the side, staring at Amane's grey orbs with more focus than before. "Will I now?"

"Yes. Bleach-sama will dress most beautifully for you."

Amane couldn't tell at all if her words had any effects on the assassin – let alone if said effects were positive – but assumed they were taken with great pleasure. From what she knew about her master and his relationship with Bleach, the butler believed that the idea of the thief dressing up for him would please Illumi-sama very much; even if the butler had nothing besides her woman's intuition to back up her statement.

"For me, you say… Have you two been gossiping during your little outgoing?"

_Well, it certainly caught his interest._

"No, sir. But she did ask me if I knew what the rest of the family wore in those dinners to help her choose, and she paid special attention when I talked about your attire on previous occasions."

Amane felt bad for selling out Bleach like that, but it was the truth and she had the duty of answering all of her masters' questions truthfully. No exceptions.

"Did she check her phone a lot?"

"More than one would expect."

"And did she say anything while you shopped?"

"We only talked about the dinner, Illumi-sama. Besides what I have already told you, nothing worth mentioning."

"And during lunch?"

"I didn't join her for lunch Illumi-sama. She had a training session with Kalluto-sama at three in the afternoon, als-"

Amane almost bit her own tongue in two to chastise herself for what she almost said. She prayed, even though she knew it would be in vain, for Illumi-sama not to notice it.

Of course he noticed.

"Also?"

Amane took a deep breath and tightened her grip around the straps of her Swarovski bag, mentally apologizing to Bleach for what she was about to reveal.

"Also, she was in the company of a friend and I didn't feel it would be right for me to intrude. She mentioned it's rare for her to see any of her friends nowadays."

The assassin remained silent for no more than five seconds, but his bottomless eyes staring deep into her soul made Amane feel like an hour had passed by.

"What was his name?" He finally asked.

"His name was Elmsy, but-"

"That's enough."

Amane bowed low when Illumi stood up from her chair, cutting her words with his dry, staccato command. Without another word and not giving the butler the chance to explain that she would bet her own life that absolute nothing romantic was going on between Bleach and her friend the assassin left.

Amane exhaled as soon as Illumi-sama's presence disappeared, noticing only then how sweaty her palms were.

_I'm sorry, Bleach._

* * *

 

Bleach trained with Kalluto after lunch and both went to have ice cream as usual; to her utmost pride, she hadn't mentioned Illumi in any way, shape or manner. Despite her burning curiosity that was bordering on anxiety, she didn't invest herself in retrieving information about the assassin from other sources.

But some hours later, night came again and yet there was no response from Illumi, making Bleach a tad too anxious. For Elmsy, it was as clear as day that she needed to do something about it.

"Just go see him, Bleach." He spoke. "I can handle being left in this nice apartment with an enormous flat screen by myself for a couple of hours. I promise."

The thief had half a mind to tell Elmsy to fuck off and mind his own business but managed to behave as a grown-up and just lock herself in her bedroom out of annoyance, slamming the door in the process.

Elmsy didn't know what _the fuck_ he was talking about.

So what if she ended up sneaking out of her own apartment in the middle of the night to go see Illumi as Elmsy slept in the couch?

_He didn't know shit._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can I just say that I really like Amane? She has that badass look whenever she's doing bussiness but blushes like a schoolgirl when Kanaria pays her a compliment. I think she and Bleach would totally be best buddies in a high school setting XDXD
> 
> And how was that nice chunk of cutesy feels between Kikyo and Silva? Understandable OOC? Too OOC? Or extremely OOC? XP
> 
> And still no BleachxIllumi here, I know. -.- But next chapter is going to be all about them so you can rest assured that you'll get your fanservice ;)
> 
> Until next time! :D
> 
> Kisses,  
> RedVoid


	66. One Step Forward And Two Steps Back

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! How are you all doing?
> 
> I intended to update this chapter sooner (like, 2 weeks sooner) but I went on a trip to Peru to do a 4 days trek to Machu Picchu so I was a bit busy preparing my bags and all. But now I'm here with lots of IllumixBleach goodness to share with you ;D
> 
> I'm sure this chapter will make up the wait for many of you. And by that I mean: SMUT ALERT. XDXD
> 
> Enjoy! :D

It was a rare event nowadays for Illumi to join his family for dinner but tonight his presence had been demanded by his mother to do so, just so everyone could plan and talk about the upcoming event.

He was usually away from home on assassination missions and, in the last couple of weeks, over-staying his welcome in Bleach's apartment. The evenings he did spend in his home, he'd usually keep himself busy with training and planning missions during dinner time and have his meals later, by himself. It wasn't a conscious effort the assassin made to avoid his family, but Illumi was much in tune with himself not to see the possibility of a subconscious avoidance. His relationship with his mother and Kalluto had improved greatly since he had taken an interest in helping out with his youngest brother's training, but the situation still remained tense with his father.

Illumi had questioned once Silva's leadership regarding the family – in particular, Killua's absence and the patriarch's lack of interest in finding and controlling Nanika – and that had not ended well for him. Those hours spent tied up on an Iron Chair with an Heretic's Fork strapped around his neck were a warning Illumi understood quite well: "I'm the boss here. I call the shots. You? You just do as I say." And the assassin didn't dare to go against his father after that warning.

Not so soon at least. When he had Nanika in his power though…

_But_ _**when** _ _will this be? Bleach hasn't given me anything yet and the game is starting to become dangerous for me as well. I'm starting to enjoy it far too much and play it just for the sake of playing it. I'm getting involved. This… is not like me._

Illumi sighed internally as he closed the door to his bedroom and walked down the halls of his home, his annoyance at having to change his schedule to appease his mother momentarily overcome by his annoyance at Bleach. It was fascinating how she managed to aggravate him from miles away, without even sending him a text.

Actually, the fact that she hadn't send him a text in the last couple of days, combined with the knowledge that she had a man staying in her apartment, increased his annoyance even further. He liked it better when she tried to reach out to him and he ignored her, not without feeling some sort of sadistic satisfaction.

_She must be too busy getting fucked by someone else to remember how much she can lose if I ever decide to let her go. I'll fix that soon enough._

"Illu-nii? You'll be joining us for dinner tonight?"

The assassin turned around at hearing his name being called. He had felt Kalluto approaching him, but he didn't expect the boy to actually come and talk spontaneously. Their relationship had improved, but not _that_ much.

"Yes. Mother wants to discuss the upcoming dinner with the other families." The eldest Zoldyck answered in a friendly tone which was so practiced he didn't know anymore if it was fabricated or not. "Shall we go together?"

Kalluto nodded, showing no visible signs of tension or hesitation at the idea of being alone with his eldest brother, and it made Illumi wonder if the youngest Zoldyck had actually started to grow more comfortable around him or if his training with both himself and Bleach was already showing signs of progress. He was inclined to believe the later even if a part of him wished for the first. Kalluto's progress would be something to be immensely proud of, but receiving his youngest brother's trust would be sweeter for Illumi.

_Aren't we sentimental tonight? Bleach would be proud._

Illumi couldn't help the thought that came to him as both he and Kalluto started to walk down the corridors in silence, but did not show any signs of annoyance at the invasive thought. He shouldn't be thinking about the woman in his free time unless he wished it so.

_But Kallu is here right now. He's a good source of information about her, and he met with her not three hours ago…_

"How was your training session today?" The older assassin asked, perfectly putting the question as if it was nothing more than idle chat. "Does Bleach still have things to teach you?"

This time Illumi noticed the slightest tension in his brother's jaw muscles before he answered the question.

"It was good. Bleach says my stealth is improving at a fast pace and I feel it so too. I'm even more confident in my jobs thanks to our training. And thanks to you as well, Illu-nii. I'm very glad you're finding the time to help me improve my skills and become a better assassin."

The older assassin felt like smiling in pleased surprise. Kallu had masterfully replied to his answer without giving anything away as well as steered the conversation away from the subject Bleach, which still was a bit of a touchy subject for both of them to talk about.

"Good." Illumi answered nonchalant, not allowing Kallu to know that he had figured it out his little game. He would let his brother to have this win and allow the subject of Bleach to drop.

But only because Kallu had impressed him with his manipulation skills, not because he felt he shouldn't show any deeper interest in the thief to anyone.

* * *

It took Bleach some time to trespass into the Zoldyck estate, avoid Mike and figure out where Illumi's quarters were located but before the clock rang midnight she found herself standing on the branch of a tree in front of the window of the assassin's bedroom, staring at its insides with anxious eyes.

The room was large, decorated in a modern, oriental style. There was a wide TV flat screen hanging on a wall with a short sofa in front of it and, beyond this small lounge area, there was Illumi's bed. It was wide and squared, like everything else in the room, and it currently had the assassin sitting on it, cross-legged and only wearing a pair of sweatpants.

She had been watching the man read some sort of folder – most likely information for his next mission – for almost ten minutes, debating if she should follow through with her plan and knock on his window or just give up. There was an unsettling feeling at the pit of her stomach at the possibility of Illumi sending her away and she feared it would only grow worse if this scenario were to become reality.

_Damn it, Bleach! This isn't like you. You want him, go get him. And if he doesn't want you back, just shrug it off and move on with your life!_

That thought did nothing to ease her discomfort, but it was enough to make the thief suck it up and knock on the window's glass.

If anything, watching Illumi turn in her direction at the speed of light and wide-eyed, needles ready in his hands to attack was worth of the effort of coming all the way here. The thief couldn't help but grin widely in amusement as her anxiety was momentarily forgotten.

Her grin dropped slightly when, instead of moving to open the window for her, Illumi just stood there, staring at her with wide and unfeeling eyes that were as cold as ice. It was how he used to stare at her before... _everything_ , and it unsettled her deeply. While she had never been able to figure out the man completely, he had become more comfortable around her, showing bits of him that, she had believed, were how he behaved as a man instead of an assassin.

She wasn't so sure anymore.

When some moments passed and Illumi still hadn't stopped staring at her like that, Bleach felt the little bit that had remained of her previous grin die and she had to fight not to show just how hurt she felt by his lack of interest in her.

Slowly she blinked, turning her head to the side so she could stare at the dark forest that surrounded the Zoldyck state. The forest looked strange and _she_ felt strange, as if something was about to happen. Or end.

_It's alright. Nothing lasts. I just need to get aw-_

Her thoughts stopped when a hand grabbed her arm and pulled her inside none too gently and suddenly she was standing in Illumi's bedroom, being pushed against the wall by the window with the assassin's body pressing against hers. His black eyes were staring down at her, keeping her captive to their intensity.

"Why did you come here?" He asked in a whisper as one of his hands snaked up her body and circled her throat. "What do you want from me?"

For once in her life Bleach felt herself at loss for words, not knowing how to react to this Illumi standing in front of her. He seemed completely apathetic, even his wide eyes had no glow in them, but his Aura… it seemed he was struggling to keep it calm and normal, struggling not to lose control of himself.

And the idea of an Illumi without control chilled the thief to the bones.

"You know what? Don't answer." The assassin continued, taking Bleach's silence as response enough. "I know what you want. It's the same as always."

"Wh-"

"Don't talk; there is no need. I'll give it to you."

Before Bleach could try to speak again, Illumi crashed his lips on hers violently, pulling her away from the wall and off the ground. The woman's legs wrapped around his waist as to not lose balance, even though she was trying to pull away from his violent kiss.

Before she could say anything, Bleach was thrown to the bed. She bounced once and then Illumi was on top of her, keeping her still. His knees were on both sides of her hips while his hands shot forward to grab both of her wrists and press them against the mattress above her head. He was about to lower his head for another kiss and-

"Stop!" Bleach demanded in an angry hiss, narrowing her eyes at the assassin. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?"

He stared down at her with an unfeeling expression on his face, as if he wasn't really seeing or hearing her.

"This is not okay, Illumi!" The woman continued, pulling her arms free from him and sitting up on the bed so they were nose to nose. "Get off of me!"

"Why?" The assassin asked, tilting his head to the side. "I'm just giving you what you want: a fuck. This is why you entered a relationship with me, remember? That's what you're here for: to get fucked."

Bleach's eyes widened as something constricted in her chest in a frankly painful manner. She felt hot and cold at the same time, and next thing she knew she had pushed Illumi away from her and ran into his bathroom.

There, she splashed some water in her face and took a good look at herself in the mirror.

_He's right. That's all I could ever want from him. I said it myself that what we have is nothing more than sex._

Still, her bright eyes were filled to the brim with hurt and disappointment, glassy from unshed tears. She noticed then that she had forgotten to put on her coloured contacts before leaving her apartment, allowing Illumi to enjoy the hurt in her eyes without any sort of filter.

" _ **That's what you're here for: to get fucked."**_

_Of course. Did I start to believe I was worth more than that? What an idiot._

It took some moments but soon Bleach's eyes were dry again and the glow in her orbs died as she mechanically took off her clothes, letting them fall to the floor in a crumpled mess.

* * *

As the woman walked out of the bathroom completely naked, Illumi had to struggle not to widen his eyes. When she had pushed him away and ran inside his bathroom the assassin expected her to come back with fire in her eyes, screaming at the top of her lungs at him. He'd shut her up the best way he knew how and they'd easily fall back into their love-hate relationship, the one where both denied any sort of actual feelings for each other and claimed to have no attachments whatsoever.

Instead she walked out naked, with her bright, beautiful eyes dead, and moved to his bed, crawling on top of it and laying down on her belly. She didn't glance at him, but he couldn't take his eyes from her and the scars on her back, which for some reason made his stomach turn in an unpleasant manner.

She looked like a precious china doll that someone dared to damage.

"You coming or not?" Bleach's voice echoed in the room, strangely detached. Then she raised her hips from the bed so she was on her elbows and knees, with her face pressed to the mattress. "I can't get fucked by myself, you know?"

Illumi hesitated. Bleach was offering herself to him in a business-like manner, in the same position he had first fucked her, more than two years ago in that cold palace. Back then it had been something hateful and non-consensual and, even if he had had an orgasm, it was the least pleasurable time he had ever had with the thief. He had no interest in repeating the experience.

Also, he felt that if he went through with this sick re-enactment both had brought upon themselves, he'd snap something inside Bleach that he wasn't sure he'd be able to put back together again.

And he wasn't ready to do that. At least not yet.

The assassin felt some tension leave his muscles as he stared at the damaged woman in front of him, knowing he wasn't the only one suffering with the developments in their relationship. This intensity was unfamiliar for both of them.

Without a word, he walked to his bed and kneeled on the mattress behind Bleach, a bit far from her.

"So, are we gonna fuck or w-"

Illumi shushed Bleach gently, prompting her to finally turn her head to look at him from over her shoulder. He stared back at her with his deep, ink-coloured eyes that were no longer so cold anymore.

In response, Bleach's orbs regained some of their own glow and there was no keeping the rush of heat from going straight to her groin when the man's head disappeared from her line of sight and his tongue appeared at her entrance.

The woman released a delighted sigh as Illumi started to work her slowly, giving long, languorous licks that went from her clit to her entrance and back. Sometimes he'd dip his tongue deep inside her, other times he'd take a while to tease her clit until she was just at the brink of her orgasm before pulling back to repeat his sweet torture. Then, once he was satisfied with his teasing, he spread her butt cheeks and licked up to her-

"Oh!" Bleach gasped, eyes widening in surprise at just where Illumi had his mouth on. "I-I didn't expect… that."

After some moments of teasing her, the man pulled back and started to knead her butt cheeks with both of his hands. "Is it bad?"

"It's… weird." The woman admitted. "It doesn't feel as good as when you tease my clit but it's not bad. It doesn't hurt."

"Did you expect it to hurt?"

"Like a bitch. It was always the worse thing when I had to do anal back… _then_."

That gave Illumi pause and his eyes went back to Bleach's scars. White hot anger coiled in his chest as he was once again reminded just how much the woman before him suffered at the hands of other men.

Reminded that he once did to her something rather similar.

Bleach noticed Illumi's sudden silence and turned to look at him once again. She had never seen him so unfocused before and for some reason it made her heart reach out to him.

"What's up?" Bleach asked softly as she changed her position in bed so she was now kneeling in front of Illumi, holding his shoulders gently and staring at him with bright eyes.

Illumi snapped back to attention and focused his eyes on Bleach's, feeling his breath catch in his throat. At that moment, the vision of her clear eyes, staring at him with _concern_ from all things, was mesmerizing.

He didn't remember the last time someone had looked at him like that. Especially after he-

" _ **That's what you're here for: to get fucked."**_

-He had said that minutes ago, hadn't he? He had said that to _her_ , from all people. And yet she was still concerned for him?

_This is frightening… and so,_ _**so** _ _good._

"You should never fear pain from me." Illumi said at last. "You're safe with me."

Bleach's eyes widened and her jaw dropped slightly out of shock at Illumi's statement and he took his chance to sneak his tongue through her lips and trap her in the slowest and most sensual kiss of her life.

She felt Illumi's hands sneak around her waist and pull her to him as close as possible and in response she wrapped her arms around his neck and did the same. They spent a long time like that, kissing each other lazily and taking in the other's heat, enjoying the comfort and care that was so rare to come for both of them.

Bleach felt as Illumi's cock hardened during their kiss to the point she believed he would come undone at any moment, but when she made to reach inside his pants he grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips instead.

"No foreplay." The man whispered, kissing her knuckles. "Not tonight. I just-"

"You want to be inside me?" Bleach breathed out, cheeks flushed as she stared into Illumi's eyes. "Because I want it. Now."

The assassin smiled predatorily and moved forward with feline grace, manoeuvring Bleach so she was laying on her back in his bed – his bed; he was about to have Bleach orgasming on **his** bed. The thought alone made him ready to burst _–_ staring up at him with lust filled eyes as he pushed his pants down, just low enough so he could pull his cock out.

"Condoms are on the nightstand by your right, lovely."

Bleach wasted no time in retrieving one of the packages and taking the condom in her hands so she could deftly slide it down Illumi's hard cock. When she was done, she gave him a smile and a peck on his lips before laying back down.

"Thank you." Illumi spoke softly, smiling down at the woman splayed beautifully beneath him – _for him_. Holding her hips tightly, he guided himself to her entrance and he pushed in slowly, watching in fascination as blood rushed to Bleach's neck and face, giving her the loveliest shade of red. She was so wet, hot and _tight_ around him; a perfect fit. He groaned. "I want you so much right now. So. Much."

Bleach bit hard on her lower lip to keep herself from moaning as Illumi set a sweetly torturous, slow rhythm for them. She had to remind herself that she was inside his home, with _his family_ walking the corridors; she couldn't risk making loud noises.

"No one can hear us. This whole wing of the estate is mine." Illumi promised, as if reading her thoughts. "You can talk and moan as much as you like. I want to hear you moan…"

" _Gods-"_ The woman sobbed reaching up to grab his shoulders and pull his body down so his weight was pressing her against the mattress in the most delicious way. "-this is _so good._ "

Illumi nibbled her ear in response as his throat vibrated with another groan of pleasure. Tonight, he didn't feel like thinking about his every action; he'd let himself go as much as he could. And he wanted Bleach to do the same.

"Scratch my back, lovely."

Bleach moaned at the request alone and immediately moved her hands to the man's back, running her nails down the soft skin, enjoying so much the feeling of the assassin's strong muscles beneath her palms.

On his end, Illumi took great pleasure at the feeling of Bleach's short nails digging into his skin. She wasn't scratching with enough force for him to bleed but he knew he'd have red lines on his back tomorrow and he was strangely satisfied with the idea. How could he not be? The slow sex, the kissing, hearing Bleach's sighs and moans, feeling all of her around him, in _his_ bed… It was the very definition of satisfaction.

" _Illumi-"_

He loved when she spoke his name; her voice seemed to be made to repeat it again and again. It made him wonder what he was thinking, avoiding talking to her for so long.

" _-faster."_

Illumi kissed Bleach's cheek and immediately complied with her demand knowing she was close to reaching her orgasm. If he was to be true to himself, he wouldn't last much longer either.

His hips started to snap against hers increasingly fast and he moved his hands beneath her so he could grab on her shoulders for support. They moaned and called each others' names and kissed and, when neither could take it anymore, they came so close together that it seemed as if they had rehearsed the whole thing.

Breathing hard, Illumi dropped his head on Bleach's breasts while she raised her hands to his hair, combing it gently.

"This was… wow." The woman breathed out. "Are my legs trembling? I think they are."

"Just a bit." Illumi answered with a cocky smirk as he lifted his hips just high enough so he could pull off the used condom and throw it to the ground without a care, not daring to pull away from Bleach just yet. He wondered how it would feel like to just stay inside her afterwards, catching his breath and returning to normal with her wet heat wrapped around him…

 _Maybe one day._ The assassin thought, letting his eyes close for some minutes as he enjoyed the comfort of Bleach's soft breasts beneath his cheek.

Illumi was on the brink of falling asleep, thinking that the only thing that would be more perfect than having Bleach cum on his bed would be to have her sleep with him in it.

Then, she opened her mouth-

"I should go home now."

-and just like that, that thought died.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You thought the drama was ending? Sorry, but no happily ever after for them yet (ever? XP).
> 
> Still, lots of development between the two of them as a couple, even if neither is quite willing to admit to it yet. Well... when you fail, try try try try try try try - many many try's - again.
> 
> Well, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Please let me know what you think about it :D
> 
> Kisses,  
> RedVoid


	67. Family Dinner: It's Time For Dinner

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for your comments everyone! :D
> 
> Really guys, they are the reason I didn't take another month to update this. The last weeks have been just crazy with a 60+ hours/week workload in college and even a couple of weekend activities. I haven't had the time to even work out lately! T.T
> 
> But here is the next chapter! I really hope you all enjoy it and that it'll make it up for the wait you all had to endure. =.=

" _Illumi? Did you hear me? I said-"_

" _I heard you. Just go."_

" _Wait. What's wrong? I thought that we-"_

" _What? That we were okay? We are. I just don't have any patience right now to deal with your hot and cold personality. So leave."_

" _What do you mean,_ _ **my**_ _hot and cold personality? You're the one behaving like an asshole right now. I just said-"_

" _I already told you that I heard what you said. So instead of wasting more of my time, just do as you said and leave quietly. I have business to attend to."_

" _Fine! You want to be this way? Then be this way. I don't give a fuck."_

" _Of course you don't. You got what you wanted from me and now you'll go back to your other man. Like a good little slut."_

" _FUCK YOU! If I'm a slut, what are you?! Just a whore, receiving his client and watching they leave in the dead of the night."_

" _Maybe I should start charging you then. At least it'll make having sex with you worth_ _ **something**_ _."_

" _Oh, sorry for strong-arming you into having sex with ugly and undesirable little me! I mean, I must've somehow forced you into it, else it'd be charity work and we both know you don't do that. I mean, god forbid you be nice to someone without getting anything in return!"_

" _Bleach, for once in your life,_ _ **shut up and leave it be.**_ _"_

" _Why should I?"_

" _Because I can't stand looking at your face anymore. Now get out."_

" _Fine! I knew I shouldn't have come here. Last time I step foot in this fucking room."_

" _What makes you think you'd be welcomed anyway? You weren't even invited this time; you just showed up begging for a fuck as you usually do. Like a bitch in heat."_

" _And you licked the bone clean with a smile on your face, like a starving dog."_

" _This conversation is over. Leave."_

" _Who's repeating himself now? Piece of shit."_

* * *

 

And that was how Bleach left the Zoldcyk manor, angry and humiliated, with tears overflowing from her eyes and sobs stuck in her throat.

On the following day, she said absolutely nothing to Elmsy and pretended everything was fine. They once again played tourists in Padokea, visiting the important landmarks and having a nice, expensive lunch followed by an even nicer dinner.

Then it was time for the former Floor Master to go back to the airport and leave Bleach on her own again. The thief was fine with it, being alone had never bothered her before and it wouldn't bother her now. Though she would have to admit it would've been nice to have Elmsy's soothing presence in her apartment for a little while longer; it helped her not to dwell so much on thoughts of Illumi.

With Elmsy gone Bleach had two whole days by herself before the date of that dreaded dinner arrived, and she hated it. It wasn't nearly enough time for her to get a job to distract herself but far too much for her to be able to keep herself occupied on her own and not think about the god-damned assassin that seemed to be going through some kind of hormonal rollercoaster and taking it out on her.

So she thought about him. Every waking moment she thought about him and what he did to her and what it  _meant_  to her.

Their relationship was supposed to be only about sex but it was clear she wasn't quite managing to keep it that way – like she knew she wouldn't but had refused to accept, and now it was too late – and now she had to figure out if this new… _thing_  they had was something she wanted to – and if she  _could_  – deal with.

_Of course it isn't. Falling for a heartless man? Only an idiot would let herself go down that road._

But was she ready to give up this heartless man? Bleach wanted to believe she was, but whenever she took her phone in her hands to send Illumi a text – a simple  _It's over. Don't call me again_  – she froze; her hands started to sweat, her heart worked double-pace and nausea hit her like a train.

_I… can't._

And she really couldn't, but Bleach didn't know if it was dealing with Illumi or ending things with him. She'd hurt either way, of that she was sure, but now the question – the choice she had to make – was  _when_  and  _how much_.

Still, by the time she had to go to dinner with Illumi's family – and other  _four_  assassin families – Bleach hadn't made her choice and all she could do was get pretty, put a cocky smile on her face and go to the dinner party as if nothing had happened between her and the bastard.

_Whatever. It's not like I'd stay all lovey-dovey with Illumi anyway. This changes nothing._

* * *

 

It did change some things.

Bleach was the first "guest" to arrive at the Zoldyck manor, immediately being led by Tsubone to the mansion's great hall, where she could see a classical string quartet already playing at the corner, a buffet with appetizers set up to absolute perfection and a couple of tables also set to be occupied by groups of guests. If the number of chairs at the tables matched the number of people invited Bleach could count on 30 people showing up, including herself and the host family. She wondered if the seats were already settled or if people were supposed to seat anywhere they chose; if so, she wanted to be as far from Illumi as possible.

There were some butlers standing guard around the great hall, close to the walls and still as statues, just waiting to be called upon and be of service to their guests. The Zoldycks, however, were nowhere to be seen and the thief couldn't help but sigh in annoyance at being summoned so early to this event. She  _hated_  being the first one to arrive.

_Oh well. At least there's food._

With that small consolation in mind, Bleach stalked to the buffet, checking all of her options to see which dishes were worth the space in her stomach. Once she had checked all of her options and was about to grab a plate for herself, a butler approached her.

"Forgive me, Bleach-sama, but I must ask that you wait a little while longer before tasting the buffet. Our masters are coming this way right now and it would be proper for you to greet them without your mouth full."

Bleach turned to the butler with a perfectly false smile on her lips, nodding in silence at the servant's "suggestion". Without a word, she dropped the hand that was reaching for an empty plate to fill and moved to stare out of one of the many large windows of the place instead of wringing the butler's neck as was her wish.

_**Our** _ _masters, huh? Fuck you for that asshole._

This was going to be a long night.

* * *

 

Illumi could honestly say he'd rather be anywhere than in his home at that moment. He was high-strung, frustrated and overall annoyed with everything and everyone.

On the outside however, he was also relaxed and ready to smile and engage in pointless – and not-pointless too – conversation with his mother's guests. Even Bleach.

_Only if she comes to me though._

Tonight Illumi refused to play their little game of cat and mouse. Actually… no, that wasn't right; he did feel like playing it but only if the roles were inverted: he'd be the mouse this time, showing off to the kitten all he had to offer until it was too much for her to take. And he'd have plenty of chances to do so, after all there were a couple of assassin heiresses who'd do – one who already did – just about anything to climb up the social ladder and come just a bit closer of snatching the Zoldyck bachelor. It was his turn to leave Bleach high and dry; he'd have his kitten chasing after him in no time.

Those thoughts and plans gave Illumi some peace of mind, reminding him that Bleach was not the only woman in the world, that he could easily have another warming his bed at the snap of his fingers.

But then he followed his family inside the great hall and spotted the woman consuming his thoughts just standing there, looking out of a window with a detached and lazy smile on her lips, back straight and chin up, as if she was the most beautiful thing in the world.

And dressed as she was, she just might've been.

_At least something good came out of that shopping trip._

The dress was white and long, conservative in the back and flowing softly behind her as a gentle breeze drifted through the window, and her white hair was made in a high curly bun that Illumi was certain it took her hours to make. And it certainly was worth the effort, if anyone was to stare at Bleach from behind, they might just believe they were staring at an angel.

However, if someone was to look her in the face, they might've as well be staring at a succubus. Her fake brown eyes were heavy with eye-liner but highlighted with silvery eye shadow and her pouty lips were painted in a blood red that made her coquettish smile look like perfect temptation. And her dress… the front of it revealed a double leg slit that allowed anyone to see the designer label black high heeled sandals and the lines and contours of the well-worked muscles of the thief's legs, but was not high enough to actually show the end of her thighs or the curve of her hips, leaving just enough covered to tease the imagination. The fabric of the dress fit just right around the woman's midriff – not too tight but also not at all loose – before opening to just the right amount of cleavage, which was very well ornamented by a necklace with an enormous onyx surrounded by diamonds that matched perfectly the large onyx bracelet she had in her right wrist. Her fingernails and her toenails were painted in a very appealing scarlet colour that made his mind and eyes wander back to her red, red lips.

Bleach was impressive in her attire, sexy without being vulgar and flaunting her monetary security in a way that made her point perfectly:  _I may not be an assassin, but I belong here as much as any of you. Dare to fuck with me and see what happens._

"Oh, Illumi. It seems your little pet knows exactly how to play this game." Kikyo spoke to her son, wrapping her arm around his. "She looks the part."

Illumi acted confused, smiling politely to his mother. "What part?"

"The part of one of our own. Your intended, perhaps?"

"You're talking nonsense, mother. Bleach would never try to look this particular part." Illumi spoke nonchalantly. "And even if she was, she is falling short of it without a doubt."

Kikyo felt like laughing at her son's denial, but settled for an amused smile instead. And that smile just widened when Kalluto decided to join their conversation.

"I think she looks very pretty." The youngest of the brothers spoke and if he was any less well-trained in manipulation, he'd have the slightest blush on his cheeks.

Kikyo was divided between finding Kalluto's words adorable and hating Bleach with everything she had at that comment – her baby was only 12! how dare that woman get him smitten as well?! – but it was Illumi who responded to Kalluto's compliment.

"Well then, why don't you ask her to dance when you have the chance?" The words were spoken in a light voice that held back perfectly how amusing the idea seemed to Illumi. He was joking with his brother.

But Kalluto wasn't joking when he nodded at his suggestion, still staring at Bleach with eyes that betrayed nothing. "I will."

Now the whole family suddenly became interested in the conversation. Milluki, who was thinking that he had a couple of figurines that looked just like Bleach in his room couldn't help but stare at his younger brother as if he was crazy. Silva and Zeno both raised curious eyebrows at this new development, understanding that Kalluto just might be starting his path down adolescence and that Bleach seemed to be his very first crush. Kikyo, again, was divided between cooing at her baby's growth and snapping the thief's neck.

And Illumi just didn't know how to feel so he didn't as much as flinch at his brother's words. Kalluto might've been too young to pose any real threat regarding the thief but still couldn't help but wonder what would happen if he wasn't as young. What  _would_  he do if Kalluto posed as a threat to his relationship with Bleach? Would they argue, fight?

_I'd let it go. Just as I'm about to do tonight._

That didn't sound true even to him but he'd stick with it. Bleach was coming their way to make nice anyway; no time to dwell on the what-ifs of life.

To Illumi's surprise, his mother was the first to acknowledge Bleach's approach with a dangerously welcoming smile. Her visor stopped blinking altogether as the matriarch stared at her "guest" with scary intensity.

"You must be the thief. How nice to finally meet you."

The thief smiled politely and bowed her head, muscles tense from head to toe. It was a marvellous scene to watch, the thief acting all nonchalant and brave in front of his mother despite the obvious – to Illumi at least – discomfort.

"It's an honour."

"Of course it is."

And, just like that, Kikyo seemed to lose all interest in the woman and walked away, towards Tsubone who was stationed at the opposite corner of the great hall.

Bleach's muscles relaxed visibly and that bothered Illumi. She shouldn't feel at ease in his presence, not tonight, not in the condition they parted a couple of nights ago. Not  _ever_.

Still smiling politely, Bleach moved her gaze to Milluki, who earned nothing more than an obligatory nod, then to Silva, with whom she exchanged a more respectful and elaborated greeting, and then to Zeno, who received a more truthful than polite smile and some brief talk besides the polite greetings that were required of her.

Then, her gaze settled on Illumi and her perfectly polite smile was back in place and it made the assassin's gut clench in rage at her indifferent respect, even when he was smiling just as falsely as she was.

"Good to see you again, Illumi."

"You too, Bleach."

And that was it. Those few words were exchanged and next thing he knew Bleach's attention was focused on Kalluto, whom she complimented and smiled at and talked with excitedly and without pretence. And Illumi watched from the corner of his eye with something ugly and unpleasant bubbling inside him, thoughts wandering back to his earlier musings about what would he do if his brother was any older.

Instead of showing the slightest sign of what he was thinking, Illumi just followed his mother's example and walked away from Bleach, to the opposite corner of the room.

The other guests were about to arrive anyway and he knew a couple of them would spare no effort in trying to keep Bleach from his mind.

* * *

 

It was torture for Bleach not to stare at Illumi, not to watch his body move as he walked away from her, dressed so,  _so_  beautifully. He was wearing a blue-green changshan with golden patterns that fitted his upper body snuggly, highlighting his wide shoulders and shaping his slim hips perfectly before falling over black, form-fitting slacks that were undoubtedly made following his exact measurements. There were two thin belts of gold around his waist, dropping charmingly over his hips on the right side, daring Bleach to go and follow the cool metal with her fingers. To complete the outfit – and Bleach's torture - Illumi was wearing his hair in a side braid, leaving his neck bare for the thief who wanted nothing more than walk to him and plant a soft kiss in the exposed flesh.

Instead she remained with Kalluto, who was dressed in a similar fashion but with a black and purple changshan that made his eyes pop prettily. The boy seemed to be as displeased as her for being obligated to join his mother's dinner and both found comfort in each other's misery as the other guests arrived.

And in the food.

It was nice for Bleach to try the amazing food on the buffet by the side of a growing boy, this way she didn't look like a glutton. Her three plates were nothing near Kalluto's seven count – which was still growing.

 _This one is going to be tall._ Bleach thought as she watched Kalluto with a soft smile.  _Taller than Illumi I bet. And a better man too._

* * *

 

The guests arrived soon and Bleach couldn't help but be rather underwhelmed by them. Maybe it was because she was used to dealing with the most notorious assassins of the planet but they all seemed so simple. Not weak, not at all, just… unimpressive.

If you were to disregard they extraordinarily expensive outfits of course, but who was Bleach to say anything dressed as she was?

The first to arrive was the Feile family, composed by the Grandmother, the Father and his four Daughters (all with different mothers according to Zeno, with the exception of the identical twins). The youngest daughter was 13 and the eldest 35 but Bleach paid them no mind; she was too busy internally cussing at the middle ones – twins who just turned 20 and had obviously bleached white hair – who migrated to Illumi's side as soon as they arrived and were currently  _making nice_  with him.

The second family to arrive were the Laeal. They were a tight group composed by a Grandmother from the father's side, a Grandfather from the mother's, the Happily Married Couple and their Three Perfect Children, two men of 19 and 18 and a girl of 14. The youngest daughter of the Feile family seemed close with the Laeal girl, who responded to her friendly conversations appropriately but did not deepen them for nothing in this world. Bleach wondered if she was bored or just playing hard to get, because that girl sure as hell wasn't shy; her chin stuck high in the air was proof of that.

Then came the Vinça Twins. A man and a woman of 22 – her own age – with green hair, easy-going smiles and sharp black eyes. They were eager to greet all the other guests and Bleach felt something tighten in her chest when they greeted her. They looked strangely familiar. But before she had time to dwell on that, the last family arrived.

True to the saying "last but not least" the Sugend were the second most powerful family of assassins in the world. Composed by the Grandmother, her daughter and her six Grandchildren – 3 men of 33, 30 and 24; and 3 women of 35, 27 and 19.

Bleach noticed that not one of the "children" in any of the assassin families was married and she couldn't help but wonder why.  _Guess they all are waiting for_ _ **the one**_ _. Must choose well to keep the family business._

Once every guest had arrived, it was time to actually start dinner. The beautiful buffet that Bleach and Kalluto had explored together before the arrival of the guests was quickly put aside as everyone was led by the butlers to their seats. 

Kikyo, Silva and the other Mothers and Fathers sat at the central table. Zeno sat with the other Grandfathers and Grandmothers close-by. And the "children" plus Bleach sat at a third table with Illumi at the head, the Feile Twins at his right and Milluki at his left. Following Milluki were the Sugend Daughters and their brothers, then Bleach and Kalluto. On the other side, after the Faeal twins were their other two sisters, then the Vinça Twins, followed by the Laeal children.

And so the thief found herself sat between the youngest Zoldyck and the youngest Sugend Son, with the Vinça Twins in front of her, wondering:

_So… is this division of age supposed to be because of possible differences in interests or just for the sake of match-making?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's it for now! :)
> 
> Let me tell yoou, this dinner is not going at all as I first had planned it. For example, I had nothing planned for Kalluto participation-wise, and now he's making quite a nice contribution to the evening. Dunno where the idea of him having a little, harmless crush on Bleach came from but it felt so natural that I had to put it in or else the chapter wouldn't feel right. XP
> 
> Anyway, tell me what you think about it! I can't wait to hear your opinions on the other assassins. :D
> 
> Kisses,  
> RedVoid


	68. Family Dinner: Let's Dance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! I finally managed to fit in some writing time this weekend and got this chapter ready for you! Now, I don't know when the next one will be ready (as you might remember, September and October are months when I survive on 4 hours of sleep per night, junk food and sheer stubbornness) but hopefully this will apease your cravings until then. :)
> 
> Thank you all who commented last chapter! I was very happy to hear from you :D
> 
> Now, as always, hope you all enjoy the chapter! :)

_The "children" plus Bleach sat at a third table with Illumi at the head, the Feile Twins at his right and Milluki at his left. Following Milluki were the Sugend Daughters and their brothers, then Bleach and Kalluto. On the other side, after the Faeal twins were their other two sisters, then the Vinça Twins, followed by the Laeal children._

_And so the thief found herself sat between the youngest Zoldyck and the youngest Sugend Son, with the Vinça Twins in front of her, wondering:_

_So… is this division of age supposed to be because of possible differences in interests or just for the sake of match-making?_

* * *

It was funny how, despite the fact that the tension at the table was thick enough to be cut with a knife, everyone acted perfectly at ease, talking with fake, fake smiles on their faces as if they were all old pals meeting up for their monthly dinner to catch up on the happenings of life. Bleach felt a strong déjà vu being part of this whole thing; it was just like when she was obliged to make nice at her bosses' parties back when she was part of the Mafia.

At least Kalluto was sitting by her side, feeling as annoyed as her by the whole situation. It was some sort of consolation, knowing she wasn't the only one there against her will. Also Kalluto was a very good conversation partner, despite what other people might think, and he always had stories about the Phantom Troupe to share with her.

Too bad that, since they were surrounded by people that weren't allowed to be privy to any kind of information that could be even remotely sensitive, those stories and the subject of their training were – literally – out of the table and both were forced to discuss the ever safe and ever boring subjects of politics, literature and business. After all, gods forbid anyone of bringing up inane subjects like movies, TV series, music or even gossip; they were all educated people here, not part of the masses who enjoyed talking about trivial – but  _fun_  – matters.

"-and now the most powerful sheik of Dii Raab is completely indebted to me, willing to give me anything I desire for as long as I live."

Oh, there was also the bragging. Bleach guessed it kind of counted as gossip since they were talking about some of the favours they did for their clients – all in vague details which made it all still boring since no one actually talked about the dirt they had over them, giving out just enough information to make themselves look good but nothing that could be compromising.

Bleach smiled and made her snarky and intelligent enough – she might not be anywhere as schooled as any of them but she knew enough to keep herself informed about the happenings of the world and anything that might prove important for her future dealings – comments, but didn't talk much herself. She was too uninterested in the people sitting at her corner of the table to try and make an impression.

On his corner though, Illumi was all charms with the Feile Twins, keeping both of them constantly engaged in conversation. Not that the thief was checking or anything.

Finally, after a couple of hours that felt like many more enduring dull dinner conversation, the meal was over and, even though the food was beyond delicious, Bleach couldn't be happier to watch the guests start to stand up through the table and wander around in small groups, talking amongst themselves.

* * *

"I'm going to my parents a bit." Kalluto announced, staring at her with large violet eyes. "Is that alright?"

Bleach was taken aback by the boy asking her permission to go. Sure, she didn't know anyone else in the place but that didn't make her automatically pathetically dependedn on him to cope with the party.

Did it?

"Of course it's alright. Why wouldn't it be?"

"Well, it's just… never mind." The boy shook his head. "I'll be back later."

It did.

Bleach shook her head as well before smiling to Kalluto as he stood up from his chair. "Have fun."

The boy gave her a quick smile in return before disappearing from her sight. Now left to her own devices, Bleach stood up from the table as well and walked to the buffet; all she wanted at the moment was a nice cup of coffee from the espresso machine that was sitting at the far end of the buffet.

The spot was already occupied, it seemed.

Standing close to the machine, staring down at his cell phone, was the middle son of the Sugend family. Bleach had paid him extra-attention before: 30 years old, tall –  _very tall; what is he? 1.90m? 2.00m?_  – with soft features that were astoundingly beautiful –  _like the rest of his family. points for family genes here_  -, short, slicked-back black hair and blue eyes that seemed made out of diamonds due to how much they sparkled. His frame was very muscular but due to his height it looked quite appropriate on him, especially in his perfectly tailored navy blue suit.

_I don't think I've ever seen someone use a vintage tie pin before – with a wolf's head nonetheless – and make it work._

But Bleach didn't really give a damn about the man, even if she did appreciate the view; all she wanted was a large cup of coffee to nurse as she stared out of the window. She was tired, annoyed and counting the minutes until she could leave the party without offending the Zoldycks. She had no intention of making small talk tonight, unlike Illumi who was still glued at the hip the pretty twins.

Not that she was watching. She was just getting coffee. Only that.

"Not a fan of these things either, huh?"

Bleach didn't startle and didn't tense, she didn't even look at the man by her side – who still had his eyes glued to his phone – from the corner of her eye; she just scoffed and nodded. She was just getting coffee but that didn't mean she was to ignore someone talking to her. Kikyo wouldn't like it if she was rude to her guests and the last thing Bleach wanted at the moment was to antagonize the Zoldyck matriarch.

_Bitch managed to make me come here. God knows what she has in store for me if I do anything to ruin her precious dinner._

"You should join the club then. We have T-shirts." The man continued distractedly.

Now there was a smirk on her lips and she didn't think it would be leaving so soon. " _We?_ "

"Me, my older brother Neil, Lara – the eldest of the Feile daughters – and the Vinça twins – Secir and Jemia – are all members. We meet for tea and gossip about these little gatherings once a year. It's great. We have a group on Wazzap."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. My phone is always buzzing because of them, but it's usually porn. Annoying when I'm on a job, but great for those lonely nights."

Bleach almost chocked on her coffee at the unexpected laugh that breached through her lips. The man was funny as well as pretty it seemed, and for that Bleach was willing to turn her face to stare directly at him with a pleased smirk on her lips.

"Oh my, why didn't you tell me there was porn involved? I have lots to share."

"Nudes don't count. We only work with professional material."

"Awww! I guess I'll have to dig up my old DVDs then. Man, it'll be a bother digitalizing everything. But hey, you'll get to see me my naked ass in HD!"

That made the man's mouth curl up at the corner, which Bleach counted as a victory even of his blue eyes remained glued to his phone.  _Probably watching porn._

"We'll have a star in our numbers? Boy, will I get brownie points for recruiting you."

"I had to pay for Med School somehow."

"You're a doctor too then? I smell double brownie points for me."

"Sorry to disappoint but I dropped out. Being a doctor is too much work and too little money. It paid better to play the slutty nurse."

"Oh, that reminds me: I have something weird in my… private area. I think there's something wrong with me. Would you mind taking a look, nurse?"

"What's wrong with it?"

"It keeps-" Finally, the man put his phone away and looked at both sides before settling his blue, blue eyes on Bleach's brown ones. He made an outrageously embarrassed face and lowered his mouth to her ear so he could whisper in a scandalized voice. "-hardening."

Bleach put on an equally ridiculous expression. "That  _does_ seem serious. You know, I've seen this thing happen before."

"And what did you do to- you know. Fix… _it_."

"I… I don't know if I should say it just like that. It's…  _indecent_."

"But, what if it's serious? I could die."

"But-"

"Please? It may save my life."

"Alright. But I'll have to whisper it to you. Very low."

"Okay."

Now it was Bleach's turn to act paranoid and look to both sides before scooting a little closer to him and pulling gently on his tie so he'd lower his ear back to her lips. Then, in her sweetest and most seductive voice, she breathed out:

"I cut the dick off."

"HA!"

It was the man's turn to allow an unexpected laugh to escape him and just like that he broke character and gave Bleach a smile that was all him; his hand was out for the woman to shake.

"You're funny, thief. I'll give you that. What's your name?"

Bleach took his hand and smirked. "You know my name."

"I do, but I'd like a formal introduction, if you please. It's not every day you get to meet a star; there are protocols to be followed."

"The name is Bleach. Mr…?"

"Mr Sugend, but the title is only for roleplaying in the bedroom. Here you can call me Mellan."

"What if I told you I like Mr Sugend better?" The woman asked with a more than suggestive smile playing on her red lips.

Mellan smiled and pulled at Bleach's hand so he could once again brush his lips against her ear.

"Then I'd call you a pretty little liar. You like to be an active participant, if not dominant, and I know it. Which works just fine for me, you know? I'm quite… changeable in this particular department. I could call you Ma'am, if you wish."

Bleach smiled predatorily and raised her free hand to the back of Mellan's neck so she could hold him in place as she whispered back:

"You, my dear Mellan, just earned yourself a dance."

So what if at the corner of her eye she was watching Illumi play with a strand of bleached white hair from one of the twins. That had nothing to do with her sudden flirty attitude.

* * *

Bleach would never have guessed in a million years that she'd ever have fun in an event such as the one in which she was participating now, but, as it turned out, she was more than enjoying herself. Mellan was most likely the funniest person she had ever met in her life – like  _please stop before I pee myself_  funny –, with a sharp tongue that had the perfect joke for everything and a face that was perfect for making the most dramatic and ridiculous expressions possible.

And he was drop-dead sexy, as well as good dancer. While the thief never had a particular love for ballroom dancing, she could appreciate having a strong and fun man holding her close without serious second intentions – of course, she knew he had  _some_  second intentions but they weren't anything worse than trying to get information about the Zoldycks and maybe get in her pants if both were in the mood for it later that night, so she wasn't particularly worried. The flirting was nice too; fun as well as uplifting, especially after watching Illumi flirt with two women at the same time since the begining of the evening and right in front of her.

Without even realizing it, Bleach started to dance song after song with Mellan and only stopped because the Vinça twins approached them for a strange double-dancing. Gemia became Bleach's pair while his sister danced with Mellan, but that combination would change at the blink of an eye as the four danced around each other, switching couples to the rhythm of the music and talking as if they were friends.

The twins, Bleach found, were quite fun as well. Secir was a bit caustic and full of the dark humour that the thief enjoyed so much while her brother Gemia was just plain adorable and quick to make compliments. All in all they were just great company; which was very weird for Bleach since every time she looked at any of the twins something unpleasant curled at the pit of her stomach and she didn't manage to pinpoint why. Sure, it could be due to the possibility of them being shamelessly pretending to be the easy-going siblings when in truth they could be complete psychos, but not trusting anyone in this ball was a given for the thief; it shouldn't bother her to the point of manifesting itself physically.

However Bleach didn't give any signs of what she was feeling towards the twins and just smiled talked and danced as if all was right with the world.

After a couple of songs she spotted Kalluto at the edge of the room, staring at her with calculating eyes, as if thinking the best way to approach her, and she couldn't deny to feeling a great relief when she excused herself from her dance partners to walk towards the boy with an encouraging smile on her face.

"You like dancing, Kalluto?"

The young assassin shrugged his shoulders. To his credit, he seemed perfectly at ease, as if he hadn't just been staring directly at her for the past couple of songs.

"Thinking about inviting someone to join you on the floor? I think the youngest Feile girl has her eye on you." Bleach teased. "The little Laeal wouldn't oppose either, you know? That look of complete disinterest she has is just for show."

"I don't want to dance with them."

"Hmm… How about me, then?" The thief asked, pointing at herself and smiling at the slightest blush that suddenly appeared on the boy's cheeks. "Would you dance with me?"

The light shade of pink remained adorning the boy's face, but other than that he seemed completely composed as he offered Bleach his hand. "If you want to…"

Bleach's smile softened and she took the boy's hand. "I'd like that."

As Kalluto led her to the dance floor, Bleach finally took notice of how much the boy had grown since she had first seen him, almost three years ago when she had come to rescue Killua from his family. The youngest assassin had been tall for his age back then but still seemed so small in his kimono, staring at Killua with pleading eyes as he made requests in the name of his mother. Now, standing just a bit below her shoulders in his full height – and she was wearing very high heels to boot – and making decisions for himself with his chin in the air and shoulders rolled back the boy seemed all grown-up.

"How tall are you now, Kalluto?" Bleach couldn't help but ask. "1.60m?"

"1.58m." The boy answered easily, assuming his position as Bleach's dance partner, with his right hand on the middle of her back and his left hand supporting her right one. "I'm as tall as Nii-san when you first met him."

Bleach felt a sudden stab in her chest at the mention of Killua. She missed him a lot, as well as Gon. Maybe even Kurapika and Leorio too…

"I miss him too."

The thief was startled by Kalluto's words and when she focused her eyes on him, he was staring at her with eyes as intense as Illumi's, reading every little detail on her face.

She gave him a small smile and he returned it easily.

"If it makes you feel any better, he asks about you, Kalluto. Every time we talk he asks about you. And he's very proud."

The boy's violet eyes widened and he opened his mouth to respond but thought better of it. He just stared at her with those deep violet eyes of his and, without a word, he started to lead her in the dance floor as the music resumed playing.

* * *

Illumi, just like Bleach, was making the most of the party, dancing with all of the bachelorettes of the families, but mostly with the Feile twins.

Truth be told, despite his very desirable status as the first-born of the Zoldyck, the twins were the only ones actually interested in him. The eldest daughters of the Feile and Sugend families were first born children and, as such, heirs to their families' business. Needless to say, they weren't willing to give up their last name to become a Zoldyck bride, though he was sure their parents could arrange it to happen if Illumi were to demand it.

The Feile twins on the other hand were in an appropriate age for Illumi – 20 for his 26 years – and had no chance of becoming the leaders of their family's business; Killua was the only exception to the age hierarchy in the assassins families. Marrying the first-born of the Zodycks would be the best thing that could happen to them and they knew it.

_That's why they painted their hair white. Must've found out about me and Bleach somehow and thought I fancied the colour._

Of course, the assassin didn't say anything. The twins were all he had to distract himself from the annoying smiles Bleach was throwing  _Mellan Sugend_  from all people –  _not even a first born like his sister_. Then, the Vinça twins joined them in the dance floor and there was only Neil Sugend and Lara Feile missing to complete the pity party group; the one who always kept their noses out of politics and social hierarchy and just…  _enjoyed_  themselves the best they could. It was sickeningly annoying for Illumi to watch.

That's why he didn't; he focused his attentions solely on the Feile twins.

His little brother on the other hand… that one wasted no time in stealing Bleach for himself as soon as their eyes met across the dance floor. It would be adorable if it wasn't so sad.

The eldest Zoldyck sibling knew he should interfere and keep his little brother from further humiliating himself with his silly, obvious crush; on a woman who was almost twice his age nonetheless. He could only imagine how his mother was feeling right now.

_She must be furious with Bleach. I wonder why she hasn't kicked her out yet._

"-sooooo, let's go?"

Illumi smiled at the ladies in front of him and nodded before offering an arm each.

"Ohhh-" Jine cooed, squeezing his biceps unashamedly. "-you're just as hard as I remember."

And just like that he was already regretting his proposition of showing the gardens to the Feile twins. Jine was just annoyingly easy and her sister, Rya, just watched everything with an amused glint in her eyes, as if she had him wrapped around her little finger just because her sister acted like an idiot. Both twins were insufferable in their own manner, but there was no way in hell he would give Bleach the satisfaction of seeing him by himself in this party.

_Not that she's paying any mind. It's adorable how she manages to focus her attention on my little brother and act all happy and excited with him. One could almost believe she's pleased with her situation._

Sparing Bleach and Kalluto one last discreet glance, Illumi started to lead the twins to the balcony.

"Come with me, please."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's it for now. I hope you've all enjoyed this chapter. :)
> 
> And please let me know what you think about it! It's tough to workk with so many new characters at once. XDXD
> 
> Kisses,  
> RedVoid
> 
> PS: yes the title is a reference to David Bowie's song. RIP Bowie, you'll always be missed.


	69. Family Dinner: Take The Fall

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! First of all, thank you all who commented last chapter :D
> 
> Now, on some unrelated business, tomorrow is my birthday! So, remember, reviews make the best presents! *.*
> 
> Hope you all enjoy the chapter :)

_Sparing Bleach and Kalluto one last discreet glance, Illumi started to lead the twins to the balcony._

_"Come with me, please."_

* * *

 

Bleach and Kalluto danced only a couple of songs before the little Laeal girl approached them, asking the boy for a dance. The thief almost rolled her eyes at how cliché it was that the stuck-up girl came down from the pedestal only after realizing that Kalluto wouldn't pay her any mind.

_The worst play of hard to get I've ever seen._

She said nothing though, only smiled as she nodded her concordance of Kalluto accepting the girl's offer. It wouldn't do for one of the hosts to behave rudely towards his guest and far be it from Bleach to be any sort of obstacle for the boy to be friends – or at least friendly – with people his age. She encouraged it, even if it was clear the boy much preferred to remain in the company of someone he was already comfortable with instead of engaging his guest.

"We can dance later." Bleach promised, urging Kalluto to take the girl's hand. "I'll be in the balcony. Have fun, you two."

The little girl stared at Bleach as if she had grown a second head, apparently surprised by the thief's easy-going acceptance of her interruption, as if she had any reason to feel anger about the idea of Kalluto dancing with someone else. As if she was planning to dig her claws in a boy half her age.

_What are people teaching these children?_

Shaking her head, Bleach walked away from the now dancing pair. She wondered if she would be able to leave anytime soon. Surely she had stayed long enough to appease Kikyo's strange desire for her presence?

Not daring to actually ask that to the Zoldyck matriarch, Bleach took her place in the balcony, enjoying the chill air seeping into her dress. It was a bit masochist of her to expose herself to the early spring chill like that, but very refreshing after having to deal with the guests' fake warmth all night.

**"Tell me, Illumi-kun, what have you been doing lately that's been keeping you so distracted? We have hardly heard from you in the last year and that's a bit unusual."**

Bleach scowled as her eyes fell to the people standing below her, talking closely to each other in front of the beautiful and well-maintained hedge maze that seemed endless and foreboding in the darkness of the night. Despite knowing Illumi was so close, she kept her eyes on the green labyrinth, observing its classical, chilling beauty instead of watching the trio standing in front of it. She had enjoyed the cold biting into her skin but she was not enough of a masochist to stare as those two women pushed themselves as close to Illumi as possible.

But their voices were carrying too much, assaulting her ears and sooner rather than later Bleach decided she had had enough of fresh air for one night. Maybe she could go and bother Mellan for another dance.

"Are you enjoying yourself, thief?"

It took all Bleach had to not tense at the sudden appearance of Kikyo, who materialized by her side just as she was about to turn her back to the hedge maze and head back inside. The thief felt cornered by the other woman.

The matriarch was impressive in her navy bustle gown, with diamonds twinkling at her sleeves and neck and a cascade of ebony hair curling around her shoulders, framing her sharp face. Her fixed visor that was boring into Bleach's eyes with an intensity that reminded her of Illumi; it was truly intimidating.

"I guess?" Bleach answered carefully, not sure if the matriarch would be more upset at her for not enjoying her party or for actually enjoying herself. She settled with a non-committed: "The food was great."

"Naturally. But it isn't the food I was hoping you'd appreciate. My Illu looks beautiful tonight, doesn't he?"

Bleach fought to keep a polite smile on her lips even when she was internally scowling and giving Kikyo the finger. "Yes he does."

"And so do the Feile twins. They seem to be having a good time with my Illu, don't they?"

"Yes they do."

"Doesn't it bother you? To see him giving all his attentions to them?"

Bleach's smile died and her eyes narrowed in anger for a split of a second. There was no use lying to the older woman, and telling her to go fuck herself and mind her own damn business wasn't much of an option either, unfortunately.

_Fake smile and shrugging shoulders it is then._

"It does bother me. But some things can't be helped."

"Maybe this one can."

The thief's eyes narrowed once more, but this time it was in suspicion. "What do you mean?"

The smile that stretched on Kikyo's lips was damming.

"I mean I despise those gawking harpies more than I do you."

The suspicion gave place to confusion but before Bleach could say anything a diamond-ornate hand fell on her shoulder.

And pushed her over the balcony.

Bleach opened her mouth to scream but not even air passed through her gritted teeth as reflex and experience kicked in and she pirouetted in the air, activating her Ren so she could use her Aura to fall gracefully on her feet. Or at least as gracefully as someone who just fell down a balcony could.

The Hunter didn't need to turn around to know the twins were staring at her, mocking words at the point of their tongues. She would've thought Illumi was doing the same if not for the fact that he was suddenly standing right in front of her, staring at her with his large eyes; one of his hands was closed around her forearm and the other hovering in front of her shoulder as if to steady her.

Bleach blinked twice at seeing Illumi so close to her on his own volition before raising her eyes to the balcony, atop which Kikyo stood watching everything with something that looked a lot like satisfaction in her blinking visor.

_The bitch just threw me at her son. Literally._

Illumi followed her line of sight and sighed, allowing his arms to drop from her at seeing his mother standing above them with a self-satisfied smile on her lips.

"I assure you I had nothing to do with this." He promised.

Bleach lowered her gaze back to Illumi and shook her head softly. "I didn't think you did. Don't worry about it. Go back to your guests."

The assassin opened his mouth to say something back, most likely to speak in cutting clarity that he would never have reason to  _worry_  about her or anything related to her when the twins approached them, snickering to themselves.

"That must've been the most disgraceful thing I've ever seen in my life. You know you just flashed all of us you black lace panties, right?" Number 1 spoke, smirking at Bleach. "You sure you're a thief, darling? With that sort of balance?"

Bleach breathed in deeply, put on a sweet smile on her face and shrugged her shoulders as she internally counted down from ten in an effort not to show how good her balance was by standing on top of just one of her sandals while she used the other to club that bitch's face in.

"Don't listen to Jine, dear." Number 2 spoke, giving Bleach a falsely comforting smile. "I'm sure you're a very good professional when in top conditions." Then, the woman raised her empty glass of wine in the air. "The drinks are rather splendid tonight and not all of us can hold our liquor."

Bleach felt something snap in her and it must've showed in her eyes because, for a short, delicious moment the twins completely lost their amusement and tensed their muscles in caution. There was something close to fear in the air and the Hunter frankly loved it.

Then, the twins showed their fangs, narrowing their pretty green eyes at her and raising their Aura  _just so_. As expected, they rose up to the challenge and they did so in a rather intimidating manner – Bleach would begrudgingly admit – and as such succeeded in terrorizing Bleach into dropping her homicidal Nen and returning to her role as the amicable dinner guest.

She could've stolen the expensive rings right out of the twins' fingers and the cell phones out of their purses to show them how good of a thief she was, she could've even lashed out at how pathetic and desperate they seemed for painting their hair white only to try and get Illumi's attention when it was as clear as day he'd never harbour any sort of serious interest in any of them. Even if it all ended with her dead in a corner somewhere – and it most likely would – it would've been worth it.

But Bleach was tired, and not in the mood to risk her neck and give Illumi the satisfaction of seeing her lose it because of him, so instead of doing any of the things she could've done she shrugged her shoulders once again and turned her back to the trio so she could march away. It was high time she went back home, even if there was no one there waiting for her.

However, to put the cherry on top of the metaphorical cake, one of the thief's heels happened to break with her fall without her realizing it, making her wobble a little bit at taking the first step.

Once again, Illumi was there to give her support. Holding one of her biceps in each of his hands, the assassin pulled Bleach to him so her back was pressed to his chest.

She craned her neck to look up at him while he lowered his gaze to her. But before any could say anything, Kikyo called out to them, her loud and shrill voice demanding attention and, most of all, obedience.

"Illu, love! It seems our guest is having a bit of trouble with her footwear. Be a dear and take her inside while one of our butlers handles it, yes?"

And, out of nowhere, a butler appeared kneeling at Bleach's feet, ready to take off her sandals.

"Eh… Don't worry." The thief tried. "I can show myself out. The exit is only a handful of steps away."

Her words fell on deaf ears and the butler remained in his position, waiting for Bleach's permission to remove her sandals from her feet. She was about to repeat her words – maybe in a manner not as agreeable as before – when she felt and heard movement behind her.

And suddenly she was in the air, held bridal-style by none other than Illumi Zoldyck in a way that made the slits of her dress expose both of her legs completely, something the thief was too annoyed to pay attention to but that didn't go unnoticed by the assassin now carrying her.

At least his mother's plan gave Illumi a nice view of the pair of legs he had been coveting the whole night.

"Wha-!"

"Just let it go. It all will be over faster this way." The assassin spoke, nodding at the butler to remove Bleach's sandals from her feet.

The woman could only grit her teeth in hateful spite as the man moved to immediately obey the unspoken command. The thief  _could_  make a scene, but she somehow doubted that Kikyo did not have at least 4 plans of action to deal with anything she threw her way.

_Deep breaths, Bleach. Count down from one-fucking-hundred if you must._

"Your ankle seems to be sprained, Bleach-sama." The incognito butler pointed out, pointing to a large purple bruise on her ankle. "I'll retrieve some ice-"

"There is no need." Illumi dismissed, turning on his heels so he was now facing the doors that would lead him back inside. "Just bring her shoes to my room when you're finished."

Then, without a second glance to the twins standing right behind him, Illumi marched away from the garden with Bleach in his arms.

To her credit, the thief didn't say a thing to gloat at the women standing shock-still behind them.

To her discredit, she threw the most childish, triumphant smirk at the twins from over Illumi's shoulder.

* * *

 

Illumi had half a mind to speed walk across the main hall and back to his wing of the mansion just to avoid any sort of comments from the other guests, but as soon as he set foot back inside he had been spotted by Kallu from the dance floor and the boy didn't think twice before letting go of his dance partner and marching to him.

"What happened?" The boy asked, voice betraying none of the confusion he was certainly feeling.

It was Bleach who answered, with a resigned smile on her lips: "Like the lazy little rebel I am, instead of standing at the balcony to look at the gardens, I sat on the railing. I wasn't drinking or anything but I  _was_  getting sleepy… so when your mom approached me to talk I got startled and fell down."

"…I see."

It was clear that Kallu didn't buy the story for a second. But he did well in not pressing the issue; that was as good as a story Bleach would come up with without telling on his mother, and snitching on someone wasn't something the thief did.

"Stupid, I know." She continued. "But it's not like anything serious happened."

"Then why is Illumi carrying you?"

That question didn't come from Kallu, it came from none other than Lara Feile, the annoying second-rate assassin who more often than not made a point of ruining Illumi's flirting with her sisters – and was now currently ruining his moment with Bleach – just because she was too much of a dyke to appreciate him in any form. Not for the first time in his life the assassin thought that he'd be a much more satisfied man if he could throw his needles at the woman's eyeballs.

"Yes, my little star. Why  _is_  he carrying you?"

Hers and  _Mellan Sugend's_  to be more specific. The man shared Lara's desire to get an eyeful of Bleach's exposed legs it seemed. And if the phone in his hands was anything to go by, he might've had just taken a picture of said legs for future reference.

_Wonderful._

"Bleach's heels broke and she sprained her ankle." Illumi explained, all politeness and charm. "My mother requested that I take her somewhere quieter to recover while she waits for our butlers to fix her shoes. Can't have our guests walking around barefooted."

"Of course." Mellan agreed with a smile, eyes fixed on Bleach but still moving his fingers at the speed of light on his phone's screen for a few more seconds before finally putting it away.

Then, to both Zoldycks' restrained displeasure, he took the liberty of gently grabbing the woman's bruised ankle in his hands and started moving her foot in different directions slowly. As he did so, he gazed into her eyes and there was no missing the mischief behind the stare.

"Does it hurt?"

The thief scoffed in amusement. "No, doctor. It doesn't hurt."

Mellan's eyes twinkled at his chance of making a joke about playing doctor for her, but before he could say anything Lara had smacked him upside the head.

"Quit it, Mellan. Now isn't the time to flirt with the thief."

"You're just jealous because she doesn't play for your team so you can't do it too." Mellan shot back in amusement. "But I'll drop it. I already have her number anyway."

"And who said I gave you the right one?" Bleach challenged, smirking at Mellan's antics, clearly oblivious to Kallu's discomfort. Which was truly unfortunate; Illumi was sure she'd stop this ridiculous flirting if she knew it was bothering his little brother.

Illumi was also feeling bothered – annoyed,  _jealous_  – to be honest but he doubted that'd stop her so he didn't show any signs. If anything it'd only make her dig further.

Mellan, being the drama queen he was, put a hand over his heart and opened his mouth in the form of an "o", letting out an outraged squeak. He remained with that ridiculous expression on his face for a couple of moments before he started chuckling.

Illumi noticed he was about to say something else and, knowing he was on the brink of murdering the man and starting a war between their families, spoke first:

"We shall let you all return to the party now. Please, excuse us."

Before any gave him permission to move, Illumi walked away, as fast as he could without it seeming unbecoming. Kallu followed after him, asking Bleach if she wanted him to bring some ice for her ankle.

"Don't worry, Kalluto." The thief reassured, reaching inside the cleavage of her dress to retrieve a very familiar, indigo crown pendant. "I can heal it easily enough. Thank you though, for offering. You're the sweetest."

Illumi could swear his brother was physically fighting a blush, both due to the compliment and due to watching Bleach retrieve the jewellery from between her breasts. For someone who had no qualms about using her physical attributes to manipulate people, Bleach could be quite oblivious about how her looks affected men and boys around her.

"I-It's nothing really. I should give yo- I mean, I'll go back to the other guests now. If you need anything – for your  _ankle_ , of course – just send me a text."

Illumi almost snorted.  _Almost_.

Bleach somehow noticed his sadistic pleasure at his brother's discomfort and pinched his side. All the while she smiled to Kallu and nodded. "Have fun."

With the woman's blessing, the boy turned away from them and returned to the centre of the party.

A few steps later, when they were far enough that Bleach believed no one would notice it, she activated Namid's power. The pedant shone warmly in her hands for a split of a second and, just like that, her ankle was healed.

"I can walk now." Bleach announced. "No one's around and my ankle is healed."

Illumi ignored Bleach completely and just kept on walking through the corridors of the manor. He didn't doubt that his mother had her eyes on them somehow and would pop up if her son as much as considered putting Bleach on the floor. Also, after a long period of turbulence in their relationship, he was enjoying having Bleach in his arms again. If only for the physical pleasure of it.

He noticed Bleach open her mouth to repeat her reasoning and demand to be let down – this time, undoubtedly in a less than respectful manner – and lowered his eyes to her. His eyes were tired and Bleach's were stubborn, and both stared at each other for seemingly infinite moments, as if conversing with gaze alone.

Finally, with a sigh, Illumi put Bleach on her feet. "Follow me then."

As soon as the assassin turned his back to her, the thief considered making a run for it but something held her back. She wasn't sure what exactly it was, maybe her reluctance in antagonizing Kikyo or not liking the idea of leaving without saying her farewells to Kalluto – or the tired look Ilumi had given her a moment ago – but her feet refused to run to the nearest window.

They just settled in a calm, if reluctant, stride and followed Illumi's steps.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kikyo being a meddlesome mom is my aesthetic. XD


	70. Ghosts From The Past

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all who commented on the last chapter! :D
> 
> Managed to post this chapter a bit sooner than expected since I've finished my The Evil Within fic! :D Don't get too excited about the next ones though because I'm going crazy with stuff to do regarding my exchange program. XP
> 
> But I promise to try and update at least a couple of times more before the end of 2017. ;)
> 
> Hope you all are excited for Christmas and the New Year because I'm thrilled about the holidays! :D
> 
> What I'm not thrilled about is this chapter. I'm a bit nervous because we'll layer Illumi even more in this and I hope all the time I've spent developing his relationship with Bleach makes what's about to happen believable for you all. So... please let me know what you think about his character here :D
> 
> And as always, Enjoy~! (if you get the reference you ;))

_Finally, with a sigh, Illumi put Bleach on her feet. "Follow me then."_

_As soon as the assassin turned his back to her, the thief considered making a run for it but something held her back. She wasn't sure what exactly it was, maybe her reluctance in antagonizing Kikyo or not liking the idea of leaving without saying her farewells to Kalluto – or the tired look Ilumi had given her a moment ago – but her feet refused to run to the nearest window._

_They just settled in a calm, if reluctant, stride and followed Illumi's steps._

* * *

Once inside Illumi's room, Bleach quietly took a seat on the small sofa in front of the television. For once in her life she was feeling awkward at being in close proximity to another person, not afraid or disgusted, just… uncomfortable. She didn't know what to say to Illumi anymore.

_Should we talk about…us? Is there even an "us"?_

Illumi saw Bleach's discomfort in the tension in her shoulders and in the way she kept her gaze glued on the black screen of his TV as if it was playing the most interesting shows. From where he was, standing in front of his locked door not three metres away from the woman, he could see exactly how fast the wheels were turning inside her head as she tried to make sense of their situation. He could  _everything_  about her, and it was-

_-lovely. She's absolutely lovely._

"The hell are you looking at?" The thief demanded with a pout, still refusing to glance at the assassin.

"You." The man answered easily, noticing that, to his delight, a blush was quick to bloom on the area her cleavage and neck, just short of reaching her cheeks. "I thought that'd be obvious."

The woman's pout remained as she turned her face slightly to the side, finally risking a glance at Illumi.

"Why?"

"Why I'm staring at you? Bec-"

"No. Why would it be obvious? You haven't looked or talked to me properly since we… since that night." At that, the thief lowered her gaze to her hands as her fingers unconsciously started to pick at her red nail polish. "I don't know what's going on between us anymore. I don't know what you want from me. Do you even want anything from me now? It doesn't seem like it at all. Do you want those girls? The Feiles? If you do, just say it and end whatever there is between us because I don't think I can deal with  _this_  anymore. One minute you seem to want me, all of me, just for yourself, the other you're cold and distant as if I was nothing more than a distraction. I mean, I might as well be just a distraction. That's alright. Really, it is. I just… I wish you'd tell me if I am-  _was_. This guessing game of ours it's not working for me. I can deal with being just a fuck to you, but I can't deal with you messing with my mind like that. And I'm rambling... Say something, will you? Just… talk to me. What are we doing together? What do you want? Wha-"

"Bleach."

* * *

 

Illumi's single call of her name made Bleach's fingers still and she noticed with some surprise that she had ruined two nails of her left hand and one of her right one.  _I never picked at my nails before…_

"Bleach."

There he was again, calling her name so softly as if he was capable of caring about anyone but himself, as if he was capable of caring about  _her_. What was the point of her saying all of those things to him? He'd never give her a straight answer; he'd just keep playing her like his little puppet, taking twice as he gave and giving just enough to keep her wanting more of him until he found a way to use her to get to Killua.

_Of course. It's all about Killua. How did I end up believing it was about us?_

"Bleach!"

On the third call, the woman raised her eyes from her hands and turned them to Illumi. He was suddenly sitting at the sofa with her, so very  _close_ ; she could feel his breath on her lips and watch his hands reaching out to grab hers, to keep her from ruining yet another perfectly manicured nail. His eyes were wide and blacker than anything she had ever seen before and, for a moment, she kidded herself that she could  _see him_ , that she could see he was as lost as her, wanting to have her still for as many times as she wanted and then a couple more, but afraid of losing control.

But that moment was short and feeble and soon she was back to reality. And reality had shown time and time again that Illumi could only ever desire her usefulness in finding Killua, never herself.

"I have to go." Bleach spoke with no small amount of despair in her voice and quickly pulled her hands from Illumi's. "I shouldn't hav-"

Just as she was standing from the sofa, she was pulled back in none too gently and suddenly she was laying down with Illumi above her, holding both of her wrists tightly besides her head as he stared down at her with those pitch black, undecipherable eyes.

For a moment, he looked like he'd say something. For a moment she believed he'd talk to her, explain what was going with him. For a moment she believed they'd work it out somehow.

Instead, he kissed her.

Illumi kissed her as if there was no tomorrow for either of them, pressing his body into hers as if he was trying to merge into her.

The kiss, as always, was mind-numbing, delicious... almost loving. Almost as if he was kissing her just because he wanted to be with her and feel her near him.

But his hand, dextrous and manipulative, was quick to make its way into one of the slits of her dress and search her centre, showing Bleach there could ever be one reason for Illumi to kiss her.

_Sex. Distraction. Manipulation._

The woman suddenly felt cold inside and pulled away from the kiss.

"Wait, Illumi. I-"

The man shushed her with another kiss, keeping his hand where it was and pressing even harder into her.

"Illumi. Stop."

He kept touching her. There was something desperate and uncontrolled in his movements and the woman felt something mingle with the cold in her veins, something she had felt before with other men.

"Illumi, wait!"

Again she went ignored as Illumi continued to stimulate her through her underwear while he buried his face in her neck, taking deep breaths of her scent and biting none-too-gently on the soft skin there.

Tears build up in her eyes as her whole body tensed. She was now staring at the ceiling of his bedroom with wide and unfeeling eyes. She knew she could use force to push the assassin away, that there was no way she'd be defenceless as he took advantage of her. However, at that moment, she wasn't Bleach the Hunter anymore, she was just Snowflake, the little Mafia girl who was left all alone with a perverted man twice her size and thrice her age.

_I had forgotten what this kind of fear felt like._

A sob caught in Bleach's throat and that small movement was what finally made Illumi halt what he was doing and finally  _look_  at her. And the fear and tears he witnessed in her eyes – eyes that were glazed and focusing on anything but him – made his own blood become ice in his veins.

As if scorched, the man jumped off the couch and fled to his window, pushing it open with more force than necessary, desperate to feel the cold night air on his skin, punishing him through his thin clothes and cooling him down.

His back was turned to Bleach but he knew by the softly shushing of fabric that she had sat up on the sofa and was now pulling her dress over her body to best cover the exposed skin of her thighs. Her soft, scarred skin; sinless and sinful.

_What was I doing?_

Slowly, he dared to turn around and face the woman on his couch. Her head was slightly bowed as she rubbed her hand over her right eye, then the left, and that movement was as loudly accusation as it could be.

As he watched Bleach dry her tears in absolute, dignified silence, Illumi felt the urge to vomit.

"Bleach… I-"

The words caught in his throat when Bleach suddenly stood up from his sofa, quick and determined.

"I'm leaving." She announced, voice in a cold timbre that was not unfamiliar to him. "Don't say anything right now. Don't keep me from going. I… I need space."

For a second, the assassin was going to protest. But all he said was:

"I didn't mean to. I swear in my family's name I didn't."

The woman took a deep breath as if preparing herself for battle, and Illumi hoped she'd shout and curse at him; all he wished for was her strong, self-assured anger.

But all he received was a cloudy glance from over the shoulder and a dead nod of the head.

* * *

 

"Oh, you're here!"

Bleach's muscles tensed all over at the annoying voice that came from right in front of her and the thief had to physically fight back the urge to turn around to hide her face from the women approaching her. She had managed to hold back most of her tears, but there was no way the Feile twins wouldn't notice that some had escaped her.

"Can I help you?" The thief asked instead, forcing a cringe-worthy grin on her face as both approached her.

Strange, only one of the women widened her smile at seeing her state; the least annoying of the two. The other one – Jine – frowned momentarily before turning to her sister with a smile.

"Your shoes are ready." Rya announced with an ever-growing smile, raising Bleach's heels in front of her face. "We offered to bring them to you."

Bleach nodded her thanks and moved to retrieve her heels but at the last moment the twin raised them higher, away from her reach.

"What's wrong, thief? Can't play with your superiors without crying? No one likes cry-babies."

"I'll keep that in mind." Bleach said through gritted teeth, glaring at Rya. "Now, can I have my shoes?"

"Say  _pretty please_."

Bleach felt her blood pressure spike dangerously high and seriously considered getting herself killed by the twins just to slap that bitch's face.

Fortunately for her, Jine took the shoes from her sister and gave her a teasing push forwards. "Rya, instead of teasing the little girl, why don't you go see Illumi-sama. He must be lonely."

Rya's eyes shone at the prospect of being alone with the man and with a quick nod to her sister, she marched away.

The thief's heart stopped as she watched the woman walk away. She felt the urge to tackle her to the ground and do whatever it took to keep her away from Illumi. But Jine's hand holding her shoulder in an unbelievable gentle grip kept her from doing anything other than stare wide-eyed at the remaining twin.

"Quit."

The – supposedly stupid and annoying – twin said with an expression on her face that, were it in anyone other than an assassin, Bleach would've classified as empathetic.

"This,  _all of this_ , is not for you." Jine continued. "Getting in bed with the Zoldycks – with Illumi – is nothing more than heartache. You're like Mellan and Lara, you don't care about status and power-plays. But as long as you're in this, you'll be dragged into this game. And it's not for you."

"Why are you giving me advice?" The thief asked, clearly distrustful of the woman's words.

"Because I know what it feels like being forced in this game. It's tiring, consuming,  _boring_."

"Then why do you play it?"

Jine's smile was sad. "Because Rya's dream is to become the Zoldyck matriarch and I'd do anything in my power to see her happy. Even if for that I have to help her marry that… devil."

"He's not a devil!" Bleach defended without Illumi even realizing it, all sharp claws and teeth. It took her a moment to realize what she had said, but when she did there was no hiding her embarrassment from Jine's wide eyes.

"Oh my- You're…"

"What. I'm  _what._ "

The twin looked at her with shock in her face as she put the puzzle pieces together, but did not answer Bleach. She gently shook her head and handed the woman her shoes. Then, with eyes full of pity she said:

"I'm sorry."

* * *

 

" _I didn't mean to. I swear in my family's name I didn't."_

Those words kept replaying themselves inside Bleach's head non-stop. The way he looked at her before they kissed. The way he leaped away from her when she sobbed…

Gods, she wanted so much to believe and forgive him, to put all that behind them. He hadn't actually done anything, after all; he just got a bit carried away with everything – himself, her,  _them –_  and he stopped as soon as he noticed what he was doing. She didn't even need to physically push him away.

_I froze up though. When I saw how uncontrolled he was, I was unable to move. What if he didn't stop? What if I was unable to get him to stop?_

The thief didn't understand where that fear had suddenly come from. She was more than capable of pushing Illumi away, slapping some sense into him; but for some unknown reason, her body froze and her mind shut down as soon as it recognized him as a threat. He was without control of himself, almost detached from reality as he kissed and touched her, and the memory of it all made Bleach's stomach turn.

However, when she remembered how fast he had stopped when he noticed he was hurting her and how regretful he sounded as she walked away, as if he'd do anything at all if it meant he could take it all back, Bleach felt her heart swell.

The thief felt her eyes burn with unshed tears as she laid her forefinger on the scanner in her apartment's door. She entered the place and closed the door softly behind her, dropping her forehead to the cool wood in a defeated gesture.

_Fuck. What am I going to do about him?_

Bleach sighed and pushed herself away from the door, reaching for the light switch. She was ready to shed her clothes at the foot of her bed, throw her contacts on the floor or wherever and just pass out in her bed, alone.

But things rarely go as planned and, if the sudden heaviness the woman felt on her limbs was anything to go by, this time would be no different.

"Hello again!"

Suddenly alert, the thief wiped her head around to face the source of the chipper and familiar voice. She barely managed to discern a couple of silhouettes in the dark when her knees crumbled beneath her, making her drop to the floor with a whispered curse.

"Oh, darling! Did I startle you? I'm so sorry."

The owner of the voice reached for the light switch then, delving the room in a harsh light that forced Bleach to scrunch her brow to protect her eyes as they adjusted and focused on what the fuck was happening at the moment.

"Did you miss me?"

Bleach's eyes widened and she tried to get back on her feet, but failed miserably as she found that her legs were nothing more than jelly beneath her. Finding her body incapable of moving, the Hunter tried to use her Nen to activate Namid's necklace – whatever was wrong with her body, she was sure the guardian would be able to take care of it – but once again found herself incapable.

_What the-_

"What is happening to your legs and Nen? Well, it's rather simple but I'll explain to you anyway. You didn't feel it, but as soon as you entered your apartment, I threw a hair-thin needle between your L2 and L3 vertebras, injecting a spinal block agent in your spine – one I created myself, mind you. So now you completely lost the usage of your legs. But that doesn't explain why you suddenly can't use your Nen, does it? Nor why you didn't realize there was someone ready to ambush you in your apartment. The explanation for that lies in my boy here. He's a Specialist type of Nen you know, and his specialization lays in erasing people's Nen inside his En's area, which makes it impossible for you to use your Aura to do anything. Also, thanks to that skill, we both were in such an absolute Zetsu it would be impossible for you to notice us, unless your En was activated and wider than his."

Bleach narrowed her eyes in an ugly glare, something that only made her ambusher laugh harder.

"Oh, such a hideous expression! What would Illumi think if he saw you like that? Maybe that would give those hopeless Feiles a chance, huh?" Then, the perpetrator's happy-go-round smile died completely, giving place to an unsettling neutral face "Well, no matter. It's not like you're going to see him again after tonight."

"You're going to kill me then?" Bleach asked in a cold voice. "Why? I mean, I must've done something quite personal for you to come after me with such underhanded tactics."

"You did and you know it."

"I actually don't. My best guess would be that it has something to do with me getting involved with the Zoldycks while you're nowhere near to their level but you don't seem like the type of person who cares much about status."

"I don't. Becoming an assassin was more like of a means to an end than a race. At least on the beginning. We had given up already on ever fulfilling our goal, until tonight. Until we saw you using the Guardian of Cure's powers to heal your ankle as Illumi carried you away from us."

The thief felt her eyes almost pop out of her skull at the mention of Namid by this almost complete stranger. How could they know? She was sure no one in the Zoldyck family would reveal her powers to outsiders, and the idea of Gon or Killua letting any information regarding her powers leak was just ridiculous.

"How do you know about Namid?"

"Namid? So it has a name? I should've had expected a butcher like you would actually name that monster. I bet all of them have names. No matter though, we'll destroy each and every single one of them, starting with that horrid necklace you're keeping inside your décolletage, you dirty whore."

Bleach felt a sudden wave of panic wash over her as the invader started to make their way towards her. If they did destroy Namid's necklace, what would happen to the guardian? Would she be freed or would she cease to exist?

There was a moment that time seemed to stand still as the different possible scenarios played in her brain, and most of them ended with the Guardian's death.

No matter what happened, she couldn't allow them to take hold of Namid.

Decision made, Bleach waited until her ambusher was close and reaching out towards her chest to take Namid from her. They were cocky and oh-so sure of their victory that they didn't even see it coming when she quickly reached up to grab them by the hair with her left hand as the right retrieved Namid from her dress. Using the grip she had on her ambusher as leverage she pulled her body as high as possible, throwing her attacker on the floor at the same time she propelled her body to turn in the air, so she was facing her living room's window. With a mental apology to Namid, Bleach threw he necklace with all the strength she could muster, making the pendant pierce through the window's glass and fly out the building.

"You. Fucking.  _Bitch_!"

The attacker jumped from the floor with a savage cry, rage overtaking their features. Next thing Bleach knew pain exploded on her face as she was back-slapped with astounding force and thrown on the floor. Then, it was her middle who suffered, as they kicked her stomach again and again, until blood was pouring out her mouth.

"Stop it!" The other intruder cried out, finally moving out of his corner to hold his partner away from her. "There's no need for that! We are taking her with us, right? If you keep going, you'll kill her!"

The raging party glared one final time at her and Bleach couldn't help herself; she threw a taunting smirk at their direction, provoking them into pushing against their partner in an attempt at getting to her again.

"Control yourself!" The more rational one demanded. "If you keep doing that you'll be just like her!"

The attacker took some deep breaths before finally relaxing her muscles and biting out a disgruntled "Fine".

The thief opened her mouth to demand where they'd take her but before any words could leave her lips, the attacker gave her one last kick. This time to the back of her head and with more than enough force to finally knock her out.

And the last thing she saw was her own blood staining her apartment's floor, and the long, green strands of hair she had torn out from her attacker's head.

* * *

 

Leon and Chris woke up slowly, both feeling a horrible headache and debilitating nausea that much resembled a killer hang-over.

Both grunted as they slowly stood up from the floor. They were in the building's security/maintenance room, and the clock read 3:32 AM while the last time both remembered checking the hours was 00:51 AM. At least it seemed they hadn't had enough time to do anything crazy like skipping work to go out drinking. Again.

Then, they noticed a little red light blinking accusingly at them. It was from Bleach's apartment; it meant the door had been left open for more than 15 minutes in a row.

Both men exchanged a worried look before sprinting out of the room.

Bleach would murder them if anyone had robbed her place while she was out.


	71. CSI Kalluto

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful time this Human Holiday! :D
> 
> So... I wanted to post this before Christmas as my gift to you all, but then I had to deal with some stuff for my trip and when I finally had the time, I had trouble uploading my chapter file in fanfiction and you know I like to update both sites at the same time so it all delayed my update here too. -.-  
>  But now I've (finally) figured out what was happenign with my doc and managed to post this chapter. Please consider it as my belated Human Holiday gift to you! :D
> 
> Thank you all who commented last chapter! :D
> 
> And now I wish everyone a wonderful New Year! I'm full of hope that 2018 will be a great year, and that it'll bring you all closer to your dreams :D
> 
> Kisses and lots of love,  
> RedVoid

_The thief opened her mouth to demand where they'd take her but before any words could leave her lips, the attacker gave her one last kick. This time to the back of her head and with more than enough force to finally knock her out._

_And the last thing she saw was her own blood staining her apartment's floor, and the long, green strands of hair she had torn out from her attacker's head._

* * *

_Leon and Cris woke up slowly, both feeling a horrible headache and debilitating nausea that much resembled a killer hang-over._

_Both grunted as they slowly stood up from the floor. They were in the building's security/maintenance room, and the clock read 3:32 AM while the last time both remembered checking the hours was 00:51 AM. At least it seemed they hadn't had enough time to do anything crazy like skipping work to go out drinking. Again._

_Then, they noticed a little red light blinking accusingly at them. It was from Bleach's apartment; it meant the door had been left open for more than 15 minutes in a row._

_Both men exchanged a worried look before sprinting out of the room._

_Bleach would murder them if anyone had robbed her place while she was out._

* * *

During his family dinner, he had felt…  _funny_.

When he looked at her, she looked nice but also slightly intimidating; and yet she was just so pretty and as fun and easy-going as usual, something that gave him a bit of a reprieve from the boredom he usually felt during these dinners. And then she danced with him, and she was so  _close_  he felt as if his heart was going to burst out of his chest.

He thought he might've been experiencing a bit of indigestion and just moved on to dance with the strange Laeal girl that usually stood in a corner, staring at him while the Feile girl tried to engage her in meaningful conversation.

Then his mother did something - he didn't know what exactly, but he knew it was on purpose - that ended up with Illumi carrying her away, leaving him with a very unpleasant feeling at the pit of his stomach that was very close to vomit-inducing.

A couple of hours later, his brother returned, alone - if not for the Feile twin that came from the same place minutes after him. When he asked him about her, Illumi didn't as much as look at him; just shot a curt "She went home" and moved on to converse with their mother.

Then, he felt slightly  _upset_ -

_I shouldn't have. I'm sure it wasn't her fault._

-She didn't as much as waved at him to say good-bye and it stung a little. He did understand that Illumi must've done something very wrong to her and made her too upset to think of saying her farewells to anyone - to  _him_ – but it still… hurt. She should've been more considerate.

But when she didn't reply to his text on the following day… that made  _worry_  start to coil in his gut. She never took more than a couple of hours to answer his texts.

_Maybe she's still upset?_

He decided to give her more time. They had a training session on the following day anyway; he'd be able to see her then.

* * *

 

_She's late. She's never late. Even when she made me wait for a whole hour, she was here. Pickpocketing me silly, but here._

Kalluto checked the time on his phone for the hundredth time in the last hour. He had sent more than ten texts and Bleach still hadn't answered. It seemed that Illumi had really done it this time. It made him wonder why she always ended up spending time with his brother at all; it's not like he was good to her.

_Maybe I should drop by her place before going back home. I'm sure she will like it._

* * *

 

"What do you mean, you don't know where she is?"

"Look, kid. We're really glad to have found someone that knows Bleach – since the woman has nothing even close to an emergency contact for us to call – but maybe you should give us your parents' phone so we can talk to them?"

Kalluto was close to committing double homicide and the man's –  _Cris, what a stupid name_  – condescending tone did not help.

His Aura was darker than he ever remembered it.

"I'm not a  _kid_. I'm Bleach's closest friend in this city; the one whose texts she replies in a matter of minutes most of the times, regardless of hours. And I suggest, for your benefit mind you, that you tell me everything you know about Bleach's disappearance at this moment. If you don't, I will make a million cuts in both of your bodies and bleed you until you're on the edge of unconsciousness. So, now  _that's_  established, will you tell me what happened in Bleach' apartment or should I start with the bleeding?"

Both grown men exchanged a –  _terrified, tear-filled_  – look before nodding their heads.

* * *

 

"When we came up, everything was in order but the door was open." Leon spoke as he opened the door to Bleach's apartment, allowing the kid inside. "We tried to call her but never connected. Thought about calling the police but then we remembered how she threatened to fu- screw with our lives if we ever got her involved in anything legal and, believe me, she was very convincing."

"Not that we'd just let her stay missing!" Cris quickly put in. "But we thought better to give her a couple of days before reporting her disappearance."

Kalluto ignored the men behind him as he scanned Bleach's apartment with his wide, violet eyes. Those idiots had nothing of value to say to him. Her apartment however…

_Everything was in order, huh? Are you honestly that stupid or just involved in her disappearance?_

The assassin quickly shot down the possibility of the men being responsible for the thief's disappearance. They couldn't even use Nen, and if the large bruises on their foreheads were any indication both had either received a blow to the head or fallen face-first on a flat surface; most likely knocked-out by the actual culprits.

Settling that the men behind him played no role in Bleach's disappearance, Kalluto immediately focused his eyes on the dark curtains drawn over the large window of the living room. He knew for a fact that Bleach enjoyed open spaces and remembered her going on and on about the view in her apartment. It was hard to believe she'd leave her curtains closed.

And the rug beneath his feet… too soft for a living room and its dark blue hue didn't match the furniture. It didn't belong there. It was brought from another ambiance - her bedroom most likely.

"You. Pull the curtains open." The assassin ordered, sparing Leon a glance before settling his intense eyes on Cris. "And you. Pull up the rug."

Both men were amused by a split of a second and almost laughed at the young boy ordering them around. But then a murderous aura started to emanate from said boy and their amusement was quickly overcame by haste to comply with his orders.

As they did as they were told, both felt their hearts start to beat a little faster. There was a hole in the window and a reasonably sized dark blood stain beneath the rug.

"Well-" Cris began, exchanging a worried glance with Leon. "-Fuck."

"What do we do now?"

" _You_  do nothing." Kalluto spoke in a voice that left no room for argument. "Just keep your mouth shut and don't involve the authorities. I'll take care of this."

"Kid, you don't honestly expect us to-"

Leon didn't manage to complete his outraged sentence before a sheet of paper glued itself to his face, over his mouth and nose. He immediately felt despair and started to trash and pull at the paper but it was no use; the thin wall of cellulose was more like a mask of steel blocking his airways completely.

Cris tried to help his friend but when he saw it was no use to physically fight it, he turned to Kalluto with submission written all over his face.

"Okay! We'll keep quite! Just let him go, you're killing him!"

The young assassin enforced some more excruciating seconds of torture upon the already eye-bulging Leon before finally releasing him. With an icy, murderous glint in his eyes he stared fixedly at both doormen.

"I can do much more than  _kill_  him. I can make sure that he feels nothing but pain and fear for days –  _weeks_  – on a row. I can make him beg for death as if it is a mercy. And I  _will_ , if you ever challenge or cross me again. Is that understood?"

There was pure fear in Cris and Leon's eyes as they nodded their heads.

"Good. Now leave me."

* * *

 

Kalluto knew how to examine a crime scene for clues, his mother had taught him a couple of years ago and he made sure to keep the skill sharp in his mind. Even if he didn't use it frequently, it was much too interesting for him not to dedicate some time to keeping it fresh.

He started his examinations in Bleach's bedroom and bathroom. Both were clean and mostly organized, save for a couple of shirts hanging on the back of an armchair, and the huge amount of make-up and toiletries scattered around the sink. He couldn't find anything that seemed to be missing from her drawers and closet; only the anaesthetically bare floor showed signs of tampering and Kalluto already knew that the rug had been moved to the living room. It all showed that those rooms hadn't been searched by the perpetrators; they were mostly as Bleach had left them last time she was there. And judging by how much make up was scattered around, the last time was just before his family's dinner-party.

The laundry and kitchen area were the same. Clean and organized, with no signs of being searched. However, deep inside the washing machine, behind an assortment of dirty clothes, Kalluto found a patterned grey rug stained dark brown due to old blood.

_They replaced one rug for the other and drew the curtains to hide the broken window. But that was just a superficial cover-up. They knew the chances of someone taking a closer look were slim. Or they didn't care at someone finding out what happened after a couple of days because they would already be far. This is personal, an one-time thing for the culprits. They don't care about leaving clues because they won't do it again. By now they must be far from here._

The realization made a few drops of sweat sprout on the young boy's back but he kept himself calm and rational to examine the most important piece: the living room.

There were no signs of a fight; the furniture had no dents or scratches and the floor beneath the carpet showed no marks or glass dust other than beneath the broken window. Bleach wasn't the best on hand-to-hand combat but she was by no means an easy target to be brought under submission. For the culprits to take control over the situation without a struggle they must have caught her by surprise.

Hence it was safe to assume the culprits were most likely already inside, waiting to ambush her when she arrived from dinner and they most likely had either a very potent soporific, capable of overcoming Namid's power, or a Nen ability that brought Bleach under their control.

Now, the broken window: it was damaged in a strange fashion, with a small, circular piece of glass missing and tendril-like cracks leaving it. For a second Kalluto wondered if someone had used a rifle to shoot inside but quickly dismissed the idea. The blood on the floor wasn't enough to indicate a successful shot and there were no bullet holes on the floor or walls.

_What is this…? Did the shot come from inside? Unlikely._

Kalluto made a mental note to check the area beneath this window once he left the building, just in case.

Then he moved to the bloodstain on the floor. The assassin had little doubt the blood was Bleach's but just in case retrieved a sample from it to compare with the genetic material in her toothbrush. He analysed the pattern closely and came to the conclusion that Bleach bled from her nose and/or mouth after receiving some blows to the head and upper gastrointestinal tract. The blood was too scattered, as if she had coughed or spat it out.

As he examined the bloodstain, Kalluto found his most valuable lead. In-between the thing gap of two wooden boards there were some strands of hair. Very fine strands that curled in the air in a wavy pattern. And they were of a particularly familiar shade of green...

Without warning, an image of Secir Vinça came to his mind. Her light green hair had been curled to perfection for his family dinner and he remembered watching her and her brother Gemia leave the event soon after Illumi took Bleach away from the party.

Safely storing the strands of hair inside his pocket, Kalluto quickly left Bleach's apartment.

* * *

 

On the building's common area, Kalluto found that Bleach's window was located right above the large swimming pool which, to his luck, hadn't been used or cleaned for 5 days now.

"Dive in and search the pool." The boy ordered Leon. "Now."

The man opened his mouth to complain but one look from the assassin had him removing his shoes and jacket. He kept his thick denim pants though; it was rather chilly that afternoon and he wasn't ready to have his male pride hurt by a bossy 11 years old.

* * *

 

"I found her necklace!" Leon announced, raising his hand from inside the pool to offer the jewellery to Kalluto.

Without words, the boy retrieved the necklace from the man and raised it to his cold violet eyes. How had it ended up here? Did the culprits throw it away?

_Why just throw it out the window when they could've destroyed it? Also, if they wanted to do that they could've just opened the window, instead of throwing it through the glass. It could only mean that Bleach was the one who did this… but why?_

The possible answers to this question worried Kalluto and he understood then and there that Bleach was in grave danger. Her ambushers may not have killed her yet but they certainly planned to do so.

_If they already haven't._

He needed to find her, and fast. And for that, he would need help.

* * *

 

"No."

"But, Millu-nii-"

"I'm not moving one finger to help."

"She's been kidnapped. While I have a good idea of who did it, I need to see what happened the night of the party to be sure. And I need clues. The footage might show me something that will help me locate her."

"I don't  _want_  to locate her, even if it means I get dirt on the Vinça twats. I hope that bitch never comes back actually. The only thing she did was to get Illu-nii on edge and make him and Papa argue."

Kalluto regarded his older brother with razor-sharp eyes as he counted down from ten to calm himself and not react to his – metaphorical this time, who would've guessed? – pig-headedness. He could try intimidation on Millu, but he wasn't so sure if that was his best bet. His older brother was the most cowardly of them all but he still was very full of himself due to his age advantage and, if push came to shove, Kalluto didn't think he'd actually dare to hurt his brother. Killu was the rule-breaker, not him.

But he knew who could  _easily_  intimidate Millu and, although he didn't want to resort to his help unless absolutely necessary, if he played his cards right the simple mention of his name would be enough to break Millu.

"Fine. I wanted to have something more concrete for when I approached Illu-nii. But I guess we'll have to make it do without your help. Don't worry, I'll be sure to make it  _very clear_  that you won't help under any circumstances so we don't even lose our time coming down here again."

Kalluto saw panic in his brother's squinting eyes.

"Wait! Don't tell Illu-nii that! I'll help you out, alright? Just give me some minutes."

"Good. Since you're helping after all-" Kalluto retrieved Bleach's blood and toothbrush from one pocket and the green hair from another. "-I need a DNA testing on this. Compare the blood and toothbrush, will you?"

Millu glared at him but begrudgingly took the samples anyway. "This will take three hours. And I keeping the thief's DNA in my personal database."

"I can wait."

_I don't know if Bleach can though._

* * *

 

"The DNA results should come out in a minute. Meanwhile here's what I managed to get from the street cameras." Millu spoke as he hit the PLAY button.

Kalluto watched with wide eyes as, at 2:03 AM of Sunday early morning, two figures walked out of Bleach's building without a care in the world, quickly moving to a silver Dodge Journey. They were both wearing oversized, black clothing that kept any sort of body particularity from being observed. The taller of them was carrying a very large bag on his shoulder –  _more than large enough to put a body inside_  – and he unceremoniously dropped it on the car's massive trunk.

Then without further ado, both drove away as if all was right in the world. The honest citizens even signalized a turn with their damn blinker.

"That's it?" Kalluto asked. "Where's footage of they going in? And the footage inside the building?"

"They weren't caught by the cameras when going in and the building cameras were inactivated from 00:52 until 4:00 AM of that morning. After leaving the building, I've managed to follow their car for three more blocks, but then the traffic cameras in a ten-miles radius just stopped working for the next 5 hours. Inside this area we have a car-rental company, the Bilorus Hotel, the airport and the train-station as places of interest." Millu explained just before a machine on the other side of the room started beeping. "And the DNA results just came out."

True to his sedentary ways, Millu pushed his rolling chair to the other side of the room instead of standing up and taking the few steps from a table to the other. Once there he opened a tab in his other computer and started explaining to Kalluto what the blurs on the screen meant.

"As expected the results of the blood and the toothbrush have a 100% match, meaning that they belong to the same person. And… the…"

Kalluto felt his anxiety rise up a notch as Millu's voice died; he was pointing to the third column of blurs, squinting his small eyes even further as he glared at the screen.

"What happened?"

"Comparing DNA bands is an automatic process so it's actually easier to have my software compare all three samples at once than separating only two for the comparison." Milluki began explaining. "So I used the default setting of it and just compared everything, not really believing I'd find anything. I just wanted to store the possible genetic material of one of the Vinça twats in case it ever came in handy. But…"

"What?"

"This DNA has a 26.3% match with the thief's, for very specific autosomal genes nonetheless."

Kalluto felt like giving his brother a paper cut. In the eyes.

"What does this  _mean_ , Milluki?"

The older brother turned to face Kalluto and, if the first didn't look as surprised as he did, the small assassin would've believed his next words were nothing more than a prank.

"This means the owner of that green hair is related to the thief. Her cousin maybe."

Kalluto actually gapped at his brother.


	72. Every Regret

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry that it took me so long to post this but between moving into Boston, settling in the lab, and the new The Evil Within fic I'm now writing, I've had little time and inspiration to dedicate to this. =.=
> 
> Btw, if anyone lives in Boston and wants to do a meet up, I'd be thrilled to! I'm still a bit at loss about stuff to do in this city and it would be lovely to meet people from around here. If anyone is interested, PM me and we can come up with something. :)
> 
> So... this chapter. What to say about it? other than plEASE DON'T KILL ME!

_"I'm leaving." She announced, voice in a cold timbre that was not unfamiliar to him. "Don't say anything right now. Don't keep me from going. I… I need space."_

_For a second, the assassin was going to protest. But all he said was:_

_"I didn't mean to. I swear in my family's name I didn't."_

_The woman took a deep breath as if preparing herself for battle, and Illumi hoped she'd shout and curse at him; all he wished for was her strong, self-assured anger._

_But all he received was a cloudy glance from over the shoulder and a dead nod of the head._

* * *

Illumi hadn't sent her one single message since the incident at his mother's party, despite wanting to. She had told him she wanted space and he decided to give it to her.

When in doubt on how to proceed with Bleach, the assassin found that it was usually best to leave the ball in her court. The thief didn't react well to being cornered and Illumi needed her to be as agreeable as possible. After all, for the first time in his life, he felt like he had some real making up to do.

He had lost control in the most inexcusable fashion with her. No matter how frustrated –  _jealous_  – he had been, he couldn't have manhandled her like that; not when his intentions had been the exact opposite of his actions.

He had intended to kiss her as she had kissed him the last time they were together: gentle, sweet,  _caring_. When he pulled her to him, he had meant to give her a peace offering.

Instead he triggered a battle.

He hadn't meant to be rough or aggressive, but gods she felt so good against him, her perfume was sweet seduction triggering pleasure receptors in his brain and her mouth tasted as delicious as Begic chocolate. After almost a week without seeing her and even longer without properly  _being_  with her Illumi was thirsty and only Bleach could quench him.

In his mind's eye he had been about to give them both the best thing they could hope for. In her reality he was ready to force himself onto her.

And then there was that  _fucking_  Rya Feile _._

_How did it all go so spectacularly wrong?_

That opportunistic parasite wasted no time in approaching him after Bleach left – ran, fled. from  _him_  – intercepting him just as he opened the door of his bedroom to chase after his thief.

" _Oh, come on! You're not going to play into her game, are you? Illumi-sama, please, you're so much better than this. Running after that little thief who's so obviously playing hard to get? You should've seen the satisfied smirk on her face when she left. She's_ _ **counting**_ _on you going after her so don't do it, Illumi-sama. Take back your control and let her wonder a bit. Show her who runs this game."_

Stupid words. He knew Bleach didn't play games like that; she was as straight-forward as they came, always wanting things to be explicit and plain between them.

And yet, somehow, he had been swayed by the little parasite's discourse. Had  _wanted_  to be swayed.

" _And what do you suggest I do while I let her wonder?"_

" _Oh, I can think of a few things."_

She had tried to coax him back inside his bedroom, but the mental image of that parasite laying on his bed, where not one week ago Bleach had been, sprawled so comfortably over his mattress, made him nearly tear Rya's arm off as he hauled her in another direction, towards one of the many bathrooms that were used by guests.

There Rya had dropped to her knees in front of him, hiding her face beneath a curtain of artificial white hair that was a shade too light to be right as she pulled his slacks down to his thighs.

" _Oh, Illumi-sama I-"_

" _Don't speak. I don't want to hear your voice."_

He had seen the sudden tension in her shoulders but paid it no mind.

" _And don't expect me to reciprocate either. Just get on. Or get out."_

Rya had done as she was told and Illumi remembered how long it took her just to get him erect. He was almost giving up on the woman and pushing her away from him when, at last, his mind transported him to another place. Somewhere in the past, where he was sitting on Bleach's sofa with her head laid on his lap as he read a book and she watched some famous TV show about medieval ice zombies and power struggles to sit on an iron chair to rule over a kingdom that was clearly on its way to self-destruction.

* * *

" _Is this a real series or just an excuse to watch porn?"_

_He still had his eyes glued to his book, but that didn't make Illumi oblivious to the scene unfolding on the screen in front of him, after all it wasn't every day you saw an attempt at a sexual encounter involving an eunuch._

" _This is one of the few sex scenes in the series that I'm actually enjoying. Don't ruin it for me ok?"_

_Illumi raised an eyebrow at that, moving his gaze from his pages to watch the woman lying on his lap, her pupils were blown wide and her lips were slighted parted as small puffs of hot air left her mouth._

_Without hesitation, he put his book away, freeing his hand to lay it on top of Bleach's head and scratch her scalp the way he knew she liked._

" _Illumi-" She breathed out, a smile teasing at the corner of her lips. "-are you trying to seduce me?"_

" _Well, you did say you like this scene. I think you might appreciate a re-enactment."_

_At that, Bleach paused the TV and raised her upper body from his lap so she was now eye-to-eye with him. Her eyes were glinting with not-so-innocent intent._

" _And what if I told you I'd rather change roles?"_

_Illumi's eyes briefly focused on the screen before them and his heartbeat sped up when he saw the frozen image of the male eunuch kissing down the body of his female partner and understood what exactly Bleach's words entailed. He did love when she took him in her delicious, pouty mouth._

" _Then I'd have to succumb and allow you to have your wicked way with me."_

_Bleach laughed and her eyes sparkled just so and he couldn't help thinking that they were prettier – and most likely more expensive, in the right market – than any gem he had ever seen. But the thought was quickly erased from his mind when Bleach moved swiftly to give him a peck on the lips before moving her legs so she could kneel on the floor, in-between his._

_Illumi noticed and automatically extended his arm to grab a cushion from the sofa so he could lay it on the floor before the woman's knees hit the hard surface._

_Bleach's eyes widened at the gesture and Illumi seized the opportunity to surprise her even more by momentarily pulling her off the floor and on top of him so he could nuzzle her neck and bite her ear in a way that made her wet almost out of reflex._

" _Don't look so surprised in me ensuring your comfort, lovely. Half of the fun is in knowing you enjoy it almost as much as I do."_

_Bleach groaned in his ear and grounded her hips on his, using his already hardening cock to grant herself a couple of spikes of pleasure before sliding down his body and back on the floor so she was kneeling on the cushion Illumi had set for her._ _She smiled up at him, half in teasing seduction and half in something else – something_ _**warm** _ **,** _that was becoming increasingly familiar during their trysts – as she pulled down his pants just low enough to release his cock and balls._

_He sighed in delight as she teased him with kisses and licks to the head of his member while one of her hands crawled underneath his shirt to play with his nipple and the other found his balls to massage them._

_He couldn't help holding her hair up so he could better watch her ministrations._

_Knowing she had his full attention Bleach raised her eyes to his, holding his gaze for a long moment. Then, without warning, she deep-throated him at once, making Illumi tighten his hold on her hair as he felt the tip of his cock hit the back of her throat, which was now vibrating due to the appreciative humming she was emitting._

" _Fuck, Bleach…"_

_The woman showed him no mercy. She used all the knowledge she had accumulated about him and his body to drive him mad with pleasure at record speed._

_**How can she do that so easily?** _

_Illumi shut his eyes momentarily and tried to reign in his body. If he wasn't careful, he'd end up coming much sooner than was remotely appropriate and Bleach still had her lips around his cock. He refused to come inside her mouth, forcing his semen down her throat like some sort of animal._

" _Bleach, calm down." He said, moving his hands to her shoulders so he could pull her back up. "I'm too close. I'll-"_

_The words died in his mouth when Bleach grabbed his hands with hers and pinned them on the couch, besides each of his thighs, His eyes widened fractionally and his balls tightened to the point of almost physical pain when the woman stopped what she was doing to smile up at him._

" _Relax, Illumi. Just… enjoy."_

_And next thing he knew she had that delicious mouth wrapped around his cock once again, going up and down in maddening speed as she sucked and hummed around his flesh. There was sweat on her forehead, a couple of tears on the corners of her eyes and a lovely flush on her cheeks as she worked him into a frenzy, and Illumi took it all in with rapt attention, searing that beautiful image to memory._

_Then, with a whisper of her name and an unintended groan, he came inside her mouth, spurting his come down her throat. It was disgusting and animalistic, and one of the best things he had ever experienced._

_Breathing hard Illumi noticed that his hands had moved without he even realizing it; somehow they had let go of the couch and were now holding Bleach's own hands._ _He stared at their entwined fingers for a moment before moving his gaze back to the woman in front of him. She was staring up at him with teary eyes dark with desire and a thick stream of his come running down her plump bottom lip._

" _So… how did you like it?"_

_Bleach's voice was teasing but Illumi noticed there was an underlying insecurity hidden in it and he couldn't help but feel taken aback by the question. Couldn't she see that this was most likely one of the best sexual experiences in his life? Not even when he was sixteen and green he had come so fast to a woman before._

_Bleach, apparently, took his silence the wrong way and quickly turned her face from his in embarrassment._

" _I mean, it's alright if you didn't like it. I know you're not a fan of – huh – exchanging bodily fluids. It was just… I thought you might enjoy it so I wanted to try it out. I won't-"_

_Illumi dropped to his knees on the floor and silence the woman with a searing kiss, tasting himself on her mouth and eliminating any sort of misguided notion she might've had about him ever being disgusted by the things she did to his body._

_She pulled back and breathed out his name but before she could say anything else he wrapped her legs around his hips and stood up from the floor, making her clench her arms around his neck at being suddenly lifted._

" _Let me show you how much I liked it." He whispered in her ear._

_In four quick strides, both were in her bedroom._

* * *

As the scene finished in his mind, he had finished inside Rya's throat, holding her head in place with his hands and not caring in the slightest about her discomfort as he thrust inside her mouth. The female assassin had smiled in satisfaction at him then, but all Illumi saw was Bleach's disappointed frown.

She'd have been disgusted at how he had used Rya, maybe even more than at his blatant break of their verbal contract of exclusivity.

_My betrayal._

Illumi quickly cleaned himself on the sink and ordered the Feile twin to rinse her mouth repeatedly, as if by erasing evidence he could erase what had happened.

Then, he went back to the party.

Some part of him had stupidly searched for Bleach in the party, but of course she wasn't there. She was not expecting him to come after her.

And now, two days later, all he could think was that he should've had.

* * *

"What do you mean, Bleach was kidnapped?"

His chest  _hurt_  as Kalluto's words invaded his ears and the visual proof on the screen of Millu's computers burned itself in his retina.

"I think the Vinça twins have some sort of personal vendetta against Bleach. Secir Vinça's DNA showed they both are related. Cousins most likely. I think she and Gemia recognized Bleach at the party and decided to ambush her at the apartment." Kalluto explained, pointing to the DNA test. "Maha-sama told you about her family, the Castere, when you took her to her family's former palace, did he not? Could they have a reason to wish to harm Bleach?"

Illumi thought back on everything Maha had told him about the Castere. How that family had abused their servants for generations before finally being annihilated by those they had once controlled, how Bleach was not only the sole survivor but also the heir to the power that had allowed her family to rule over those servants so brutally.

And he thought how easily another unknown survivor could use irrationality to blame Bleach for not protecting their family when they had needed her.

"Illumi, please answer me." Kalluto almost pleaded, unnerved by his brother's silence. "Could they have a personal reason to harm Bleach? To  _kill_  her?"

"Yes." The assassin answered, locking his dead stare on his brother's eyes. "But I don't think they'll have done so just yet."

"Wha-"

Before Kalluto could say anything Illumi was already on his feet, marching away from him with long strides as he raised his phone to his ear to issue orders at someone, most likely one of their butlers, completely ignoring Kalluto's attempts at drawing his attention.

"-and make sure the car is ready. Bring the supplies you'll need to provide intensive medical. Another medical experienced butler as well. She'll do. Yes. Be there in one hour."

Illumi shoved the phone back in his pocket and, finally, spun around to face Kalluto once more. The boy's violet eyes were narrowed in anger at the blatant dismissal and not for the first time since he first saw his brother smiling at Bleach during the dinner Illumi felt the urge to punish him for such blatant defiance. Kalluto was the youngest of them, but Illumi believed it was never too soon to educate his brothers, and gods knew Kalluto was needing to be taught a lesson.

"Kall-"

"You know where they took her." It wasn't a question that left Kalluto's lips. And neither were his next words. "I'm coming with you."

Illumi didn't enjoy the firmness and confidence in his little brother's voice when he spoke to him. It was just not  _right_.

_Long past a lesson indeed._

"You're not going anywhere." Illumi spoke, smiling chillingly. "Well, not now at least. But we'll take a walk around the basement when I come back. It seems I've been neglecting your education and I  _will_  rectify that."

The fear that flashed in Kallu's orbs would be ridiculously satisfying if not for the fact that Bleach was missing – had been for almost 48 hours now – and he was  _losing time_.

And if the renewed anger in Kallu's eyes was any indication, it seemed he'd still lose some more.

"I'm coming with you, Illumi. I'm not leaving Bleach alone when she needs me."

"She doesn't  _need you_." The eldest assassin purred, eyes wide and cold as a serpent's. "She has never needed you. You're her little pet – adorable, loyal, nice to have around; but secondary to everything else. Secondary to  _me_. It's time you understood your place in Bleach's life, Kallu. And it's sitting at her doorstep waiting for scraps of her attention."

"What is yours then?" The child challenged and Illumi felt his fingers flex into talons. The fangs in his smile were dripping with poison.

"In her bed, thrusting inside her until she doesn't remember you even exist."

It was easy to see how those words hurt his young, innocent little Kallu. Barely aware of his own sexuality and already having to deal with the fact that the one he could –  _would_  – grow to desire was used in the dirtiest manners by his older brother.

And still, despite the hurt and disgust, Kalluto stood his ground and glared up at his older brother.

"I'm coming with you."

Illumi felt his Aura tickle his Id, urging him to give in to the absolute rage bubbling in his chest and teach Kalluto a lesson, right here.  _Right now._

But his Ego was stronger and he just smiled a wide and plastic show of teeth.

"Do as you wish. But leave Mother a letter in case you don't return home in one piece."

The fear his little brother emanated at his threat was just delicious.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... yeah. Illumi is the worst jerk in the world. Poor Kalluto; he didn't deserve to hear such horrible things. >.<
> 
> As alway, I hope you all enjoyed this and leave a review to tell me what you think! :D
> 
> Kisses,  
> RedVoid

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [To Dream of Spiders](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10405050) by [Morte_Sangriz](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Morte_Sangriz/pseuds/Morte_Sangriz)




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